PHONETIC AND PHONOLOGICAL FEATURES OF BOSANSKA LJEKARUŠA (POMOČA OD SVAKE BOLESTI KOI IMA) FROM THE 18TH CENTURY

Abstract

This paper presents the phonetic and phonological features of Bosanska Ljekaruša (Pomoča od svake bolesti koi ima) from 18th century. Ljekaruša is a term that refers to folk remedy books which usually contain plant-based medical recipes and verbal healing practices such as prayers, incantations and amulets. This manuscript is preserved in the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Belgrade. Bosanska Ljekaruša was found in Bosnia, from which it derives its geographically motivated name. The manuscript consists of 30 pages and it includes recipes for the treatment of 47 human ailments and one ailment affecting domestic animals. Research demonstrates that the phonetic features of the Bosnian ljekaruša primarily correspond to the Serbian vernacular, and that, in addition, certain phonetic features are characteristics of the Russian Church Slavonic language. This is best illustrated by the fact that the preposition *vъ- and the prefixes *vъ- и *vъz- have the reflex /u/; vocalic /r/ exhibits Serbian phonetic features; final /l/ shifts to /o/; the consonant /h/ is lost in some instances; the results of Old iotation show the dental /t/ as /ć/. The reflex of the long yat is predominantly ijekavian, although ikavian and (possibly) ekavian reflexes are also attested. The short yat most frequently shows a jekavian reflex, except in the group /re/ and in the prefix /ne-/ in indefinite pronominal forms. Russian Church Slavonic features are less frequent and primarily concern the Russian Church Slavonic vocalization of semi-vowels and the reflex of vocalic /r/. In conclusion, the structure of the excerpted material does not provide reliable isoglosses on the basis of which the speech type present here could be precisely determined.