Principles Of Publication

Chapter Summary

The texts preserved in Latin and Italian are rendered in the original only, while the texts written in Turkic and Slavic languages are provided with English translations. For the Polish texts, which primarily originate from the late 16th and 17th century, the conventions regarding the edition of early modern sources have been applied. The documents in Turkic languages (Khwarezmian Turkic, Crimean and Ottoman Turkish), all preserved in the Arabic-script originals, are published in facsimile, Latin-script transcription, and English translation. Their Latin-script transcription is based on the modern Turkish alphabet, although four letters have been added, reflecting specific sounds pronounced in Tatar but typically not in modern Turkish. These are: ė, ġ, q, and ŋ. The Cyrillic-script instruments are preserved only in copies, entered in the Lithuanian Register books. Textual variation in the copies is referred to only in instances where their reading supplements or substantially changes the original text.

Keywords: Crimean documents; Cyrillic-script instruments; Lithuanian Register books; Ottoman Turkish