The Sutra of the White Old Man (Manuscript Call No. В 228(1), Institute of Oriental Studies of the RAS): Some Features of Handwriting and Orthography Revisited

Abstract

Introduction. The manuscript of The Sutra of the White Old Man — call no. B 228(1) — in the collection of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts (RAS) is written in the Oirat Clear Script. The manuscript was compiled during the period when the traditional rules of graphics and spelling were strongly influenced by the spoken language. Goals. The article aims at eliciting special features of the handwriting and spelling of this particular text of the Sutra. Results. If compared to the classical rules, the changes traced in the text affected both the graphics (letters and diacritic signs) and spelling of words. The spelling patterns in the manuscript reflect (although inconsistently and irregularly) some phonetic processes that took place in the spoken language, such as the development of diphthongs into long vowels, assimilation, insertion and reduction of vowels. The sign ‘udan’ denoting long vowels is used in the text only occasionally, and reduplication of labial vowels in the same function is only preserved in monosyllabic words and final syllables. The author speculates that the ‘udan’ sign could have lost its meaning to become a decorative element of the handwriting in certain positions. The paper transliterates the text and publishes a facsimile of the manuscript.

Keywords

• oirat language
• clear script
• influence of spoken language
• graphical peculiarities of handwriting