GESNER, Conrad. (With) SABBIO, Stefano da.

£3,950 · Offered by Sokol Books

Fascinating sammelband of two closely related works on ancient linguistics, one a first edition of Conrad Gesner’s work on the development of languages, including the gypsy dialect Rotwelsch, dedicated to John Barclay, Bishop of Ossory, the other the extremely rare third edition, first published 1527, of the first dictionary of vernacular Greek, from the library of the French historian and bibliophile Jacques-Auguste de Thou (1533-1617). The second work, by the Venetian printer da Sabbio, under the Greek name of Stephanos Chrysimos, constitutes the first attempt to produce a dictionary of modern, vernacular Greek. It is unsurprising that Venice should have been the locale for such an effort, given the Republic’s frequent trading contacts with Greek merchants. It contains an alphabet with phonetic pronunciation, a brief description of vowels, diphthongs (of which there are twelve, divided into ‘proper,’ i.e. those known to be used in ancient times, and ‘improper,’ i.e. those introduced through modern custom), and consonants. There then follow Greek versions of the Lord’s prayer and Hail Mary transliterated phonetically into Roman script, and Latin versions transliterated back into phonetic Greek, the former providing a useful indication of contemporary pronunciation and corresponding orthography. Designed principally for Italian users, the dictionary is arranged alphabetically by Italian words, which are then provided in transliterated ‘vulgar’ or vernacular Greek, Latin, and

• Binding: Hardcover

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