In this paper, I will try to show that Hittite scribes consciously adopted a number of writing and perhaps also linguistic strategies to accommodate the text to the limited space they had available at the end of the line and inside the intercolumnium or on the right margin of the tablet, exploiting the possibilities offered by the cuneiform writing. This could both shed further light on what we know about scribal habits and textual traditions and contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between language and writing, because it may help distinguish between linguistically-relevant spellings and variants merely intended to solve a problem of space.
Writing at margins: Strategies for adjusting cuneiform writing towards the right edge of Hittite tablets
V. Pisaniello
2022-01-01
Abstract
In this paper, I will try to show that Hittite scribes consciously adopted a number of writing and perhaps also linguistic strategies to accommodate the text to the limited space they had available at the end of the line and inside the intercolumnium or on the right margin of the tablet, exploiting the possibilities offered by the cuneiform writing. This could both shed further light on what we know about scribal habits and textual traditions and contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between language and writing, because it may help distinguish between linguistically-relevant spellings and variants merely intended to solve a problem of space.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
