REALLY old books

While putting together the previous posting about my old, family books, I chuckled to myself - knowing that Stu would (and should) step in to chide my USA definition of old. Peoples of the Old World have books/hieroglyphics/scrolls dating back not just 100 years, not just 100s of years, but (in some cases) thousands of years.

Stu took it easy on me in his comment, presenting links to the facsimile of one book that dates back to 1525. (Of course, had Stu wished to be really kind, he would have provided translations!) I, myself, can read just enough of the German to make me dangerous, my biggest hurdle being to recognize the letters! (Among my "old" books is this one:

A Scientific German Reader

Kip, Herbert Z, PhD, Vanderbilt University

Oxford University Press: New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne  & Bombay, Humphrey, Milford

1916

Stu (nor I) knew how to provide graphics in a comment on this blog; so, we shall work around the issue. Below, is Stu's comment.

I would like to share 2 of my old book covers with you, but I don't know how to put photos in your comments. So look here http:/www.savory.de/adamriese1.jpg which is my facsimile copy of Adam Riese's 1525 book on how to do arithmetic with arabic numerals (includes 2 chapters on fractions). Up until then Yurp [Europe to the rest of us - CC] had used roman numerals.

And look here http://www.savory.de/stus_blog_pix/oldbooks5.jpg which is an original 1861 algebra textbook which belonged to SWMBOs ancestors :-)

Posted by: Ole Phat Stu | March 17, 2013 at 05:41 AM

I'll go a step further by presenting the graphics.

Gesundheit! And...happy St Patty's (St Paddy's, if you prefer) day ta ya. St Patrick is the Patron Saint of Engineers - although - I couldn't tell you why! We always had a "big do" at University of Missouri School of Mines & Metallurgy (now, Missouri University of Science & Technology).

Addition of 3/18/2013

To ease transliteration of the lettering in the graphics, I suggest visiting the Beer Stein Library. I use their article What Does This Blasted Thing Say?

 

Comments

[Ole Phat Stu]

Thank you for putting up the pix :-)
I shan't bother translating, just wanted to show you the woodcuts.
The oldest original (i.e. not a modern reprint) book I have read - which belongs to the local RC cathedral - was a 1200 years old handwritten monk's script. Latin is a time machine :-)

[Cop Car]

Stu--You are welcome. I'll say one thing for Latin: the letters are easier to decipher than are the German. Why wouldn't they be since I grew up with the Roman alphabet rather than the old German print?
; >

[Hattie]

My old fashioned German teacher taught us the old script.
The spellings are idiosyncratic. So your family has always been big into math, it seems!

[Ole Phat Stu]

Hattie,
the spelling are only idiosyncratic by modern standards. Adam Ries was writing in 1525.
Spelling was not consistent in earlier times; it was only the introduction of the printing press which led to standardised spelling.
For example, there are less than a dozen samples of Shakespeare's signature and even he did not spell his OWN NAME consistently.

Latin was spelled more consistently, due to the monks often only copying texts.
This is true of Sanskrit too. Germany however, was a large set of small dukedoms until
fairly recent history and it seems that almost every valley had its own dialect.

[m.e.]

Paddy's is correct. One of the great pleasures of visiting Paris for me was being able to read (not translate) the Latin inscriptions on the walls of Notre Dame de Paris. Also, if the Vatican can be thanked for anything, it's how they've preserved the old documents. I recall the extraordinary beauty and exquisite condition of the Vatican Library's exhibit when it came to the Library of Congress here shortly after I arrived.

[Cop Car]

Hattie & Stu--Me thinks that spelling in any language has, historically, been idiosyncratic. It is only in degree that modern spellings are less so.

ME--Arrrnnn...your mother wears army boots! I grew up speaking English, so I never ever called St Patrick, "St Pádraig". Paddy may be short for Pádraig; but, there's no way that it is short for Patrick. *sending a raspberry your way* *and a laugh* Keep trying, though.

[m.e.]

army boots!? she never did. we all grew up speaking english, too, but my dad used to say "pratoes" for potatoes....my Irish grandmother (whom I never met, btw) used lots of the old expressions. She thought "praties" was common, though, so she called them "pratoes." as did her oldest son, my dad. I know too many 2nd generation Irish to ever consider using "st. patty." maybe "correct" is not the word...."original"??

how do you say "raspberry," btw? my dear late mother-in-law went by the dictionary and pronounced the word
"rawsberry." the rest of us said "razzberry."

[Cop Car]

ME--Thanks for the laughs! I say "razzberry" unless I'm putting a thumb to my nose, wagging my fingers at you, and spraying you while buzzing my lips in a Bronx Cheer.

Bogie and Dudette took great delight in correcting anyone who told them that their mother wore army boots. The boots issued to my by the Navy were SeaBee boots!

[Ole Phat Stu]

Belated St. Paddy's day video :-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=y07at1bU89Q

Stu