Computer Processing of Medieval Slavic Manuscripts in the Institute of literature BAS

Repertorium (1994-2004)

Anissava Miltenova, Department of Old Bulgarian Literature,

Institute of Literature,Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

The beginning● Why late medieval Slavic miscellanies and

implementation of computer tools?

● Miscellanies with mixed content– “Readable” type of miscellanies were compiled

mainly on the basis of the cognitive interests of compilers and readers

– Unstable structure and composition– Non-occupational, non-liturgical application– Variety of text forms and themes; different

constitutional genres

The state of art

● 1994-1995● 1996-1999● 2000-2004● The Future

Stage 1: 1994-95

● 1994, Bulgarian-American project "Computer Supported Processing of Old Slavic Manuscripts"

(Andrej Boyadžiev, Anissava Miltenova, David Birnbaum, Milena Dobreva)

● 1995, 24th–28th July, conference in Blagoevgrad

● Template for Slavonic Manuscripts (SGML)● Anthology with proceedings

The main principles of the project Repertorium

● Standardizing of document file formats

● Multiple use (data should be separated from

processing)● Portability of electronic texts (independence of local

platforms)● Orientation to the well-structured divisions of data

according to the guidelines of codicology,

orthography, paleography, textology, etc.

Stage 2: 1996-99

● 1996-98, Institute of Literature, BAS, description of 150 Slavic manuscripts

● Project “Computer-Supported Processing of Slavonic Manuscripts and Early Printed Books”, joint with prof. Ralph Cleminson at the Central European University (Budapest, Humngary

● Commission for computer processing of Slavic manuscripts and early printed books to the International committee of Slavists (1998--)

Stage 3: 2000-2004

● “Medieval Slavic Manuscripts and SGML: Problems and Perspectives” (Sofia, 2000)

● Project “Electronic Description and Edition of Slavic Sources”, 2002-2003 (UNESCO)

● The project with Slavic department in the University of Göteborg (2002-2004)

● The project with British Library (2003-2005)● Conference in Pomorie (September, 2002)● “Computational Approaches to the Study of

Early and Modern Slavic Languages and Texts. Proceedings.” (Sofia, 2003)

Project Repertorium today in outline

● Model for highly structured description of manuscript materials based on XML format (designed in its last version by Andrej Boyadžiev)

● Corpus of over 300 Slavic manuscripts (11th--18th centuries)

● Model for electronic edition of Old Slavonic texts in XML format

● Model for comparison of the content of miscellanies

● Model for linguistic analysis (under preparing)

Branching of the Repertorium1. Description of medieval Slavic manuscripts

● Analytical description of manuscripts in Bulgaria (chronologically and by collections)

● Analytical description of manuscripts in foreign libraries (British Library)

2. Implementation of the corpus of texts in individual projects, for ex.:

● Ana Stoykova (hagiography and miracles)● Anissava Miltenova (mixed-content miscellanies, apocrypha) ● Dilyana Radoslavova (late medieval copyists and literary centers)● Dimitrinka Dimitrova (late medieval damascenes, Josif Bradati)● Radsolava Stankova (hymnography, content of minea)● Maya Petrova (women saints cults, content of miscellanies)

etc.3. Corpus of bibliography

Bulgarian Institutions

● Sofia University “St. Kliment Oxridski”● Central Library of BAS● National Library “SS Cyril and Methodius”● Archive of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences● Church Historical and Archive Institute● Institute of Bulgarian Language BAS● Institute of History BAS● Institute of Mathematics BAS

Bridging with foreign institutions

● University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA● Ohio State University, Columbus OH, USA● British Library, London, Grate Britain● Institute of Russian Language, Moscow, Russia● Library of Russian Academy, St Petersburg,

Russia● University in Göteborg, Sweden● National Museum in Lviv, Ukraine● Institute of literature, Bucharest, Romania● Institute of Byzantine Studies, Belgrade, Serbia &

Montenegro

Publications

● “Computational Approaches to the Study of Early and Modern Slavic Languages and Texts”. Proceedings of the “Electronic Description and Edition of Slavic Sources” conference, 24–26 September 2002, Pomorie, Bulgaria. (Sofia 2003)

● “Scripta & e-Scripta” (1, 2003; 2, 2004, forthcoming)

http://clover.slavic.pitt.edu/~repertorium/http://www.ceu.hu/medstud/ralph/obsht.htm

● Joint projects (Description of Slavic manuscripts in London, Dilyana Radsolavova, Chris Thomas, Ralph Cleminson, etc.)

● Preparation of CD with available materials (descriptions, bibliography, XSLT and SVG

files, etc.)● Publications (for ex. on the late medieval mixed-

content miscellanies, A. Miltenova and D. Birnbaum etc.)

● Membership in TEI

Current activities

The future

● Description of small collections● Linguistic and codicological analysis● Tool for terminology (new project, with

financial support from NSF in Bulgaria)● Improvement of the searching machine based

on XSLT● AZBUKY.NET, 24-27 October, Sofia, 2005)