Overview

During the 1740s, literate Russians mostly kept to traditional forms of written language. Although the linguistic reforms undertaken by Peter the Great earlier in the century affected printed secular texts and the imperial administration, these reforms were less radical than often assumed. This study draws conclusions based on an analysis that differs from earlier ones. First of all, the study examines the Russian language during a comparatively little-known decade of the eighteenth century. In doing so, it takes into account not only strictly linguistic data, but also developments in Russian society. Second, the investigation analyzes sources that are seldom valued for their linguistic content, thus offering a broader perspective on the Russian language of the period.

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9781644697979

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This book offers a meticulous examination of written Russian texts dating to the 1740s, the first decade of Tsarina Elizabeth's reign. ... The author's methodology will inform future investigations of brief time periods in the history of Russian language usage needed to better understand the country's social development. This book is a model for sociolinguists, especially social historians interested in the development of education and literacy in czarist Russia. ... Recommended. - E. J. Vajda, Western Washington University, CHOICE (April 2023: Vol. 60 No. 8)

Author Information

Thomas Rosn holds a PhD in Slavic linguistics from Uppsala University, Sweden. Most of his work has been in medieval and early modern historical linguistics. He is currently teaching Russian and Ukrainian at the University of Gothenburg. His pedagogical experience also includes Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Albanian, and Slavic historical linguistics.

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