The Еlkab Addressing as a Compulsory Element in the Ottoman Documents

Authors:

Pages: 133-146
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/GXFA3127

Abstract:

The Ottoman-Turkish documents reflect, both in their content and in their form, the class structure of a society. According to the form of a document – the external (the writing materials, the font type, the decoration) and the inner peculiarities (construction, language, style) – determine the class belonging and the hierarchical position of the person to whom the document was addressed. One of the basic elements in the Ottoman documents’ construction was the addressing to the addressee (inscriptio), or the so called elkab. The Elkab is an addressing to the addressee – the recipient of the document – or the person to whom the expressed will in the document was addressed. For each rank, there was a certain formula-adressing that contains a series of magnificent and praiseful epithets – most often expressed with adjectives in excellence – which highlight one or other qualities of the person according to the service he occupied.

Keywords:

adressing, elkab, Ottoman documents.

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