PROJECTS OF THE IUA

The idea of a 'Polyglot Lexicon of Palaeography' originated from the Comité international de paléographie latine (International Committee for Latin Palaeography) at the time of its formation in 1953. There was to be a basic list of terms in common use in the field of Palaeography, broadly defined, with equivalents in English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish.
Lexicographical investigations were conducted from 1968 onwards in Paris at the Institut de recherche et d'histoire des textes (Institute for research in texts and textual transmission) under the auspices of the C.N.R.S., Paris. From this work and from preliminary experiments in presenting the data collected, it became clear by 1975 that there were serious problems which could only be solved by a different and more thoroughgoing approach. It was then agreed:
1°) that palaeography and codicology should receive separate treatment ;
2°) that in each of these fields there should be a basic list of technical terms in French, with precise definitions and detailed illustrations. On this basis, scholars working in the different countries concerned would adapt the material, as appropriate, to their own language ; and then the complete Polyglot Lexicon would finally be put together.

Lexicon of Codicology

The basic list was complied and published in 1985 (D. Muzerelle, Vocabulaire codicologique : répertoire méthodique des termes français relatifs aux manuscrits). There, for some time, the matter rested, since it has not been easy to find scholars willing to contribute versions in other languages. In 1992, a beginning was made with an Italian version, and in 1993 with a Spanish version; these two are expected to take some three to five years to complete ; and an English version is under discussion. Meanwhile, versions of the list in Catalan and Dutch have been offered as additions to the original plan, and have been granted the patronage of the C.I.P.L. An electronic version is in preparation.

Lexicon of Palaeography
A full review was undertaken of the technical vocabulary used to describe handwriting, extending from the 16th century to the present day. This was completed by 1980. That vocabulary, however, proved to be so labile and imprecise that it was not always possible to derive from it a coherent scientific terminology (for a review of the situation, see F. Casparri, in Paläographie 1981: Colloquium du Comité International de Paléographie... München, 1982, pp. 31 37).

The project was adopted by the UAI in 1974 as a Category C project on the initiative of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.

Directed by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belle-Lettres. Directors Ch. Samaran, 1974-1983 ; R. Marichal, 1983-1992 ; D. Muzerelle, 1992-

Web site of the C.I.P.L : http://www.irht.cnrs.fr/cipl/Cipl.htm