[Scriptoris] Abbreviationes

[Dr Tiomoid M. of Angle]

There is a program available from a faculty member of a Dutch University that
deals with the scribal abbreviations used in medieval Latin documents.
Knowledge of such abbreviations is, of course, needed to make sense of such
documents, especially for those whose Latin is, shall we say, less than fluent.

Here's the blurb:

"Abbreviationes™, the first electronic dictionary of medieval Latin
abbreviations, is a powerful database designed for use in both learning and
teaching medieval Latin paleography. Abbreviationes™ can be used as a reference
and research tool as well. It consists of a database (Main Dictionary) and a
database application (Abbreviationes™) – a mature, robust, and reliable
program, suitable for everyone from the novice to the expert. An electronic
dictionary is immeasurably more effective than a printed dictionary in terms of
speed and efficiency. Furthermore, this database currently contains more than
65,000 entries, which is more than four times as many as you can find in all
the printed dictionaries compiled by Walther, Chassant, De la Braña, Cappelli,
and Pelzer combined. Thanks to updates and enhancements, which are released
every year, the Main Dictionary continues to grow steadily. Abbreviationes™ is
a standard reference work and reflects the state of contemporary scholarship. "

Here's the link:

http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/philosophy/projects/abbrev.htm

Those in the SCA who may actually be interested in period documents, as opposed
to just looking at pretty pictures -- all, what, five of us? -- will find this
software both interesting and useful.


Tadhg

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        I can only be nice to one person a day.
              Today is not your day.
     Tomorrow isn't looking very promising, either.
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