Nekotorye orfografičeskie osobennosti i sistema peredači fonetičeskoj i semantičeskoj sovokupnosti slov semitskogo proishoždeniâ v "Bivlija ruska" Franciska Skoriny

Abstract

Qualities of the Orthographic System and Presentation Peculiarities of Phonetic and Semantic Value of the Lexemes of Semitic Origin in the "Russian Bible" (resp. "Бивлиꙗ рꙋска") by Francysk Skaryna The article newly actualizes the problem of peculiarities in the presentation of the phonetic and semantic value of lexemes of Semitic origin in "Russian Bible" by F. Skorina from Polatsk ("Бивлия руска выложена докторомъ Францискомъ Скориною из славнаго града Полоцька" [Prague: Typography of Francisk Skorina, y. 1517–1519]). An analysis of the named structural complexes of theses lexemes not only opens an opportunity for identification of mistakes in the translated text, but also determines the scope of Skorina’s knowledge in the field of original realities of the Semitic culture. On the basis of linguistic research into the phonetic and semantic value of lexemes of Semitic origin in Skorina’s "Russian Bible", the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. the fricative consonant -в- (resp. -v-) in the lexeme Бi-в-лиꙗ might have resulted from a contamination of homonyms: Middle-Lat. biblia ‘machinae bellicae jaculatoriae’ and Lat. (or Middle-Lat.) Biblia ‛Bible’, with the provisions of the prototype of the homonyms Gk. (Middle-Gk.) αἳ βίϐλοι ‘ballistic machines’ (with the minuscule ϐ ) ↔ Gk. (Middle-Gk.) τὰ βιβλία ‛Jewish sacred books; Old Testament; Bible; finished paper work; New Testament’ taken into account; 2. Lat. (Middle-Lat.) biblia ‘machinae bellicae jaculatoriae’ / Gk. (Middle-Gk.) αἳ βίϐλοι ‘ballistic machines’ presupposes the reconstruction of a hypothetical sememe *‘God’s will – a weapon of the Almighty’ ← ‘Bible’; 3. Old Hebrew and Aramaic fragments used by F. Skorina in the exordiums of his Russian Bible (Бивлиꙗ рꙋска) are to be regarded as illustrative elements but not as arguments on the basis of which Skorina could be elevated to the rank of connoisseur of Semitic languages.

Keywords

• Francysk Skaryna
• change of the fricative consonant b to v
• lapsus conversionis Bibliae