Nie tylko Bulla gnieźnieńska
Not Only Bulla Gnieźnieńska

On the Importance of Zbylut’s Foundation Document (Issued in 1153) for Polish Historical and Linguistic Research. Part 1: Research Object

Summary/Abstract: The list of sources used in the research of the oldest period of development of the Polish language is very short. Only Bulla Gnieźnieńska exists in the common consciousness. Meanwhile, the foundation document issued in 1153 by knight Zbylut for the Cistercians in Łekno, called the Zbylut’s document, may be of value to historians of language for at least three reasons: first, it contains onomastic material from the mid-12th century; second, it is available in several versions (including two parallel originals from the mid-12th century and one copy from the end of the same century), which are fully legible and perfectly preserved; and third, it has been carefully studied by a few generations of historians who have carefully considered and resolved many issues related to the circumstances of creating the originals and the copies. The results of their research constitute an invaluable and basic context for historical and linguistic analyses. The aim of the article (the first one in a series) is to introduce the Zbylut’s document (its originals and copies) into the Polish historical-linguistic research, to verify and supplement the existing transliterations, to show the document as an object of studies, and to select historical information that may prove to be important from the historical-linguistic perspective. Further work is aimed at conducting historical-linguistic research on Polish language material, providing transcription (with linguistic justifications) of Polish words and formulating research perspectives. Further works are aimed at carrying out historical and linguistic analyses of Polish language materials, preparing transcriptions of Polish words with their justifications, and formulating research perspectives.

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