On the signs above the letters in vitezović's lexicon basic meaning and their place in croatian tradition

Abstract

In his dictionary Lexicon Latino-Illyricum, while writing Croatian as wellas Latin words, P. R. Vitezović used some signs above the letters. During 250 years different Croatian writers used mainly three signs, inherited from Greek grammars. The article concerns Croatian tradition, as well as the introduction of the fourth sign, and the establishment of the so called Vuk–Daničić–Budmani–Maretić notation of the four accents in Croatian literary language.In addition, the other systems of accent notation are thoroughly described. Finally, Vitezović'sbasic usage of the signs above the letters in Lexicon is compared with the meaning which those signs have in the following works: B. Kašić, Institutiones linguae Illyricae (1604), A. Della Bella, Istruzioni grammaticali della lingua illirica (1728), P. Knežević, Pisme duhòvnè ràzlikè (1765), Š. Starčević, Nòvà ricsôslovica ilìricskà (1812), I. A. Brlić, Grammatik der illirischen Sprache (3rd ed. 1850), and V. Babukić, Ilirska slovnica (1854).