A charter or charter letter is a handwriting with a clear angular-geometric pattern, in which letters are written in a line, without a slope, practically fit into a square, with a small number of elements protruding up and down and mostly separate from each other [1] . Slow and solemn writing of thorough calligraphic execution, with a small number of abbreviations. In Russian, this term applies to various scripts:
- to the Cyrillic alphabet (most often) and to the Glagolitic alphabet ;
- to the Greek handwriting of Byzantine times;
- sometimes in other cases: for example, cursive Japanese characters and statutes may be mentioned and contrasted.
In the paleographic meaning, the term “charter” has been used since the 19th century, initially only in relation to the Cyrillic alphabet. The name is related to the scope of this letter: in the “high” church literature, “the statutory Slovenian language”.
Content
Greek Charter
The Greek charter (in other terminology - the junior unzial ) - Mayaskulny (in some capital letters) handwriting of the middle of I - beginning of II millennium BC. e., originally inclined, but straightened by the 10th century. Based on it, Gothic writing and Cyrillic were created.
The Greek charter is usually allocated in a separate category in Russian terminology [2] , although it is often combined with uncial writing of a more ancient period. In some European languages, a charter and an uncial (as well as a semi-stat and a semi-imperial ) are generally called the same word.
Kirillovsky charter
The charter is the oldest form of the Cyrillic alphabet , characteristic of the oldest manuscripts . The original Cyril’s charter exactly repeated the styles of the uncial (statutory) letters of Greek liturgical books of the same time ( IX – XI centuries) - in particular, among the oldest monuments there is the same oblique lettering as in the Byzantine statute [3] . Later Cyril’s charter evolved independently.
Some of the oldest monuments of the statutory letter (on parchment ):
- East Slavic:
- The Ostromir Gospel (1056-57);
- Archangel Gospel (c. 1092);
- Mstislav Gospel (1103-17);
- St. George's Gospel (1119–28);
- Mstislavova letter (c. 1130);
- South Slavic (all XI centuries):
- Savina's book ;
- Supra branch manuscript ;
- Yeninsky Apostle .
In the ancient charter, the proportions of letters approached a square (eventually replaced by an elongated rectangle) [4] , there was no division of text into words. Distinguish between the ancient charter itself (until the XIV century ) and the new charter - from the 15th to the 17th century (mainly on paper; however, not all authors agree with this terminology - some consider the new charter to be a kind of semi-charter [5] ).
The charter letter began to go into more fluent handwritings rather early: a tilt appears, parts of letters protruding beyond the line become more frequent, a system of abbreviations develops. The charter is replaced by a semi- charter (sometimes there are also transitional types of handwriting: mayaskulny italics , transition cursive , etc. [6] ).
As a typographic font, the charter was used (and is used) only in scholarly literature, while the ecclesiastical tradition traditionally applies semi-charter. The publication of the Ostromirov Gospel is known, typed in 1843 with a specially made font that imitates the handwriting of the manuscript. In the publications of the most ancient writing monuments from the end of the 19th century to the end of the era of metal typing, the characteristic small statutory Cyrillic font with very thin horizontal lines (which are often not printed in reprints, and as a result the letters I / N / P or E / C have to be distinguished only in context). Currently, quite a lot of computer registered headsets have been developed that reproduce handwritings of different places and times. Typographic versions of the charter typically distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters.
Glagolic Charter
In the Glagolitic alphabet, the charter includes both ancient handwriting ( Kiev leaflets ) and samples of the late Croatian angular glagolitic alphabet, including typographic ones.
Notes
- ↑ Skobelkin O. V. Russian paleography. - Voronezh: Publishing House of the Voronezh State University, 2005. - 40 p.
- ↑ “... In the Byzantine period, from the 4th-5th centuries. n e., this [unzial] handwriting turned into a “charter”, which was most often used for church books ... ”(Istrin 1965, p. 350).
- ↑ See Jagic's note on page 50 of the article by Hardthausen.
- ↑ Charter (Ustav) - ParaType Directory
- ↑ See: Riznik, p. 90.
- ↑ Rіznik (p. 78) refers to: V. Yonchev, Font of the Presidency. Sofia: Bulgarian artist, 1971.
Literature
- V. Gardtgauzen, Greek letter IX — X table. // Encyclopedia of Slavic Philology, vol. 3. - SPb., 1911. - Page 37-50 + 4 phototypic stickers. [There is a reprint: Leipzig: Zentralantiquariat der DDR, 1972.]
- V.A. Istrin. The development of writing. - M.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1961.
- V.A. Istrin. The emergence and development of writing. - M .: Nauka, 1965.
- Book Science: Encyclopedic Dictionary. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1982.
- M. G. Riznik. Letter i font. - Kiev: Vishka school, 1978.
- V.N. Schepkin. Russian paleography. - M .: Nauka, 1967.
The article is based on the materials of the Literary Encyclopedia of 1929-1939 .