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Topics - JanSeifert

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Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / spelling of »several«
« on: Wednesday 29 May 24 11:46 BST (UK)  »
Hi, in my current text the word »several« is constantly written with a capital »S« (see picture). Was several written with a »long s« previously? I am just puzzled as it is so consistent.

Jan


2
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / more strange words from a copied document from the 1830s
« on: Thursday 14 March 24 10:13 GMT (UK)  »
I thought to streamline the process and will put all my problems with the document at hand in one thread.
This is from the manuscript collection of the British Library (IOR/L/PS/19/36), the (undated) copy of a private diary of Robert Boileau Pemberton of a tour from Manipur via Ava to Arakan in 1830, which is my current transliteration project. Sadly it is unclear by whom and where the copying was done. As the manuscript is slightly longer (166 ~A4 pages), it has obviously been copied over a period of time. From the look of the hand, in my opinion, there was more than one writer involved; there is a change of flourish from page 103 onwards. Otherwise the text has the usually marks of an official document of the time. The first word of the page is repeated at the bottom of the previous page. The pages are also numbered, but the numbering seems to be done as an afterthought, again in a different hand. There is also a margin on the left side of the pages, used exclusively for marking the day of the entry in the diary. The original I have not been able to source yet.

There are added commas and full stops which were used in the original text rather haphazardly. These are mine, just to make sense of the text. I might have wrongly interpreted the beginnings or ends of the sentences.
Jan

3
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / text probably copied by a drunk official
« on: Tuesday 12 March 24 10:38 GMT (UK)  »
Hi,
I hope someone may be able to help me with this puzzling piece of text.

The text goes:
»
previous side
… villages though not large are very numerous. they are almost all
                      passed(?)
<new page>
passed(?) of temples of a spiral shape and circular structure and several
of the poongus or priests deped <sic, clothed> in yellow garments were seen loitering…
«

This was copied by a clerk after 1830 (I have no proper info on that), and - so it seems - word by word without regard to sentences or meaning. As seen in »deped«, which is obviously »clothed« (d=cl, e=o, p=th, ed. all of this are common mistakes in the text).

Could »passed« be »possessed«? Or is there some other hidden meaning I cannot fathom as English is not my mother tongue?

Thank you very much.
Jan

4
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / field diary 1832 deciphering problems
« on: Thursday 10 October 19 07:44 BST (UK)  »
Hi,
this is my first entry and already a problem to solve. I work on an edition of a personal diary from 1832 and since I am a bloody German I face of course some problems. The entire diary is - of course – handwritten, partly under adverse conditions on the way.
The first problem involves a verb I cannot fathom; the text goes:
»
accordingly got under weight once
more. The Heir Apparent [??]
us yesterday leaving the palace in
great state – and accompanied by
700 soldiers. Our coolies were
«

What could be the missing verb after Heir Apparent? Any Ideas?

Thank you!

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