THE DIGITAL CORPUS OF KOBULETIAN -ADJARIAN “DEDABRULI“ MANUSCRIPTS “ –GOALS, PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Among the humanities, codicology faced the biggest challenges in the digital age. Unlike traditional research, the principles of resource extraction and processing, methodology and even the research paradigm as a whole have changed. Resources digitized with high-resolution technologies (primary sources) are accessible, reliable, multifunctional and multidisciplinary.

Kobuletian-Ajarian “Dedabruli” manuscripts are examples of cultural heritage and belong to the end of the XVIII century and the beginning of the XX century. During the period of Ottoman rule in Adjara - the border region of Georgia, they had to preserve the language and national identity. Graphical and linguistic characteristics were also changed for secrecy (angled letters, vowels, not separating words, not using punctuation marks). Such writing is a modified type of the so-called Mkhedruli writing.

The paper presents the goals of the targeted scientific project of BSU - "Digital Corpus of Kobuletian-Adjarian “Dedabruli” Manuscripts" (2023); The importance of digitizing these manuscripts with modern technologies for further intensive inter- and multidisciplinary studies is justified.

Within the framework of the project, the architectonics of the digital corpus, and the user interface were defined. To make the resources available and use them for interdisciplinary research, a general standard of such manuscripts was developed, adapted to the specifics of the “Dedabruli” manuscripts.

In the structured corpus, converted electronic texts are attached to digital copies of manuscripts, and the characteristics of individual manuscripts are highlighted.

Systematization of manuscripts by genre (an amulet, an inscription, a personal letter, etc.) and function (healing, secret communication, etc.). serves to interdisciplinary, multiple uses.

Thematic searches (anthroponym, hydronym, toponym, name of the disease, names of saints, etc.) are provided in the dictionary of the corpus. Metadata is attached to the resources (author, place of creation of the manuscript, affiliation, font, ink colour, number of columns and lines, paper form: square folded, scroll, etc.).

The digital corpus will contribute to increasing the awareness of the "Kobuletian-Ajharian “Dedabruli” Manuscripts", deepening national self-awareness, and popularizing the research results throughout Georgia and the world. The creation of a bilingual (Georgian-English) database serves the same purpose.

The corpus is also promising in terms of further refinement and integration with other corpora.

 Keywords. Manuscripts; ’’Dedabruli manuscrips”, Kobuletian-Adjarian; Identity;  Paleography-Codicology; Digitization; Digital Corpus.