Original scientific paper
ŠIMUN KOŽIČIĆ BENJA’S (cca. 1460-1536) CONTRIBUTION TO THE REGULATION OF THE LANGUAGE OF CROATIAN-GLAGOLIC BOOKS
Mateo Žagar
Abstract
The paper was inspired by recently published proceedings -of the scientific convention about Šimun Kožičić Benja, which was organized by the Croatian Academy (HAZU) as far back as 1988. Then numerous contributions threw light upon the universal work of this bishop and glagolitic printer and writer. However, in view of more recent researches by some Croatian paleoslavists (Hercigonja, Damjanović, etc...) about tendencies towards the systematization of the language of Croatian-Glagolitic nonliturgic books, one should consider how this relates to the books which Šimun Kožičić Benja printed in his printing-works in Rijeka in the years 1530 and 1531 (a handbook for learning glagolitic Psaltir; historic work about Roman popes and emperors: Knižice od zitiê rimskih arhierêov i cesarov in particular, and a manual about what a monk should be like: Od bitija redovničkoga
knižice, and about the relationship of their language towards the language
of Kožičić’s liturgie books (Oficii blaženije Devi Marije; Knižice Krsta; Misal hruacM).
These relations are being considered in relation to three language types of Croatian-Glagolitic literature: Croatian Church-Slavic, čakavian dialect and a hybrid
type which in a specific way combines the above mentioned Church-Slavic and čakavian with the elements of the kajkavian dialect. Kozicic’s books intended for liturgy also show a strong deviation from the traditional »untouchable« language of liturgic books, but the largest freedom of language levels is shown in Knizice od zitii rimskih arhiereov i cesarov, the work which of all his books is »furthest from the altar«. This is documented with a language analysis included in the paper.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
214564
URI
Publication date:
1.5.1993.
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