G.F. Miller’s Dictionary “Description of Pagan Peoples Living in Kazan Province, such as Cheremis, Chuvash and Votyaks...” as a Valuable Source for Studying the Tatar Language of the 18th Century (based on LingvoDoc material)

This article presents the results of an analysis of three dictionaries by G.F. Miller, which were created in the 18th century and are hosted on the LingvoDoc platform (lingvodoc.ispras.ru). Miller’s manuscript dictionaries from the collection of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Documents (RSAAD) are introduced into scholarly discourse for the first time. The analysis reveals: 1) in the 18th century, all consonant transitions in the Tatar language had already been completed; 2) at this time, some vowels (known as the Volga region vowels) had not yet completed their transition process, and for [*o] and [*u], this process had not even begun; 3) in the 18th century, dialectal zones were already identified in the Tatar language; 4) the 1791 period Cyrillic-script dictionary differs in innovations from modern Tatar language and Latin-script dictionaries; 5) Latin-script dictionaries are closer to the modern Tatar literary language.

1. Шапиро А.Л. Русская историография с древнейших времен до 1917 г.: учебное пособие. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. М., Ассоц. «Россия»: Культура, 1993, 761 с. / Shapiro A.L. Russian Historiography from Ancient Times to 1917: textbook. 2nd edition, revised and supplemented. Moscow, Assoc. Russia: Kultura, 1993, 761 p. (in Russian).

2. Миллер Г.Ф. История Сибири. М.-Л.: Изд-во Акад. наук СССР, 1937-1941, Т. 1. 1937, 608 с. / Miller G.F. History of Siberia. Moscow-Leningrad, Publishing House of Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1937-1941, vol. 1, 1937, 608 p. (in Russian).

3. Ежемесячные сочинения к пользе и увеселению служащих, при Императорской Академии наук. СПб., 1756, (июль), С. 33-64., (август) С. 119-145. / Monthly essays for the benefit and amusement of those serving at the Imperial Academy of Sciences. St. Petersburg, 1756, (July), pp. 33-64., (August) pp. 119-145 (in Russian).

4. Миллер Г.Ф. Описание живущих в Казанской губернии языческих народов, яко то черемис, чуваш и вотяков: с показанием их жительства, политического учреждения .... СПб., Имп. Акад. наук, 1791, 99, [2] с., [8] л. ил. / Miller G.F. Description of the Pagan Peoples Living in Kazan Province, such as Cheremis, Chuvash and Votyak: Showing their Residence, Political Institutions ... St. Petersburg, Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1791, 99, [2] p., [8] l. ill (in Russian).

5. Норманская Ю.В., Кошелюк Н.А. Неопубликованный мансийский словарь П.С. Палласа – ранее неизвестный мансийский диалект? Урало-алтайские исследования. 2020, № 1 (36). С. 92-100 / Normanskaya Y.V., Koshelyuk N.A. Unpublished Mansi dictionary of P.S. Pallas: a previously unknown Mansi dialect? Ural-Altaic Studies, vol. 1 (36), 2020, pp. 92-100 (in Russian).

6. Махмутова Л.Т. Опыт исследования тюркских диалектов (мишарский диалект татарского языка). М.: Наука, 1978. 272 с. / Makhmutova L.T. Experience in the Study of Turkic dialects (Mishar dialect of the Tatar language). Moscow, Nauka, 1978, 272 p. (in Russian).

7. Татар халык сөйләшләре: ике китапта / [авторлар коллективы: Ф.С. Баязитова и др.]. Казан: Мәгариф, 2008. Кит. 1: Беренче китап. 2008. 461 б. / Tatar Subdialects: two editions / [author’s team: F.S. Bayazitova and others]. Kazan, Magarif, 2008. vol. 1. 2008. 461 p. (in Tatar).

8. Баязитова Ф.С. Говоры татар-крящен в сравнительном освещении. М.: Наука, 1986, 247 с. / Bayazitova F.S. Tatar-Kryashchen Subdialects in Comparative Research. Moscow, Nauka, 1986, 247 p. (in Russian).

9. Атлас татарских народных говоров, https://atlas.antat.ru/ (дата обращения: 10.12.2023) / The Atlas of Tatar Folk Subdialects, Available at: https://atlas.antat.ru, accessed 10.12.2023. (in Russian).