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History vocabulary · Sources and Archives

Codicology

Meaning in history, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In history, codicology means: The study of manuscripts as physical books, including their construction, materials and arrangement.

In Turkish: kodikoloji, yazma kitap bilimi

How it is used

Distinguish book construction from handwriting analysis, though the two methods often work together.

Example sentences

  1. Codicology showed that several leaves had been inserted after the book was bound.

    Physical structure reveals stages in the book's formation.

  2. The course in codicology examined parchment, gatherings and sewing.

    Materials and assembly are evidence in their own right.

Common collocations

  • codicological study
  • manuscript codicology
  • manuscriptA book or document written by hand, especially one produced before printing became common; also an author's text before it is published.
  • artifactAn object made or shaped by people, such as a tool, coin, weapon or piece of jewellery, especially one studied for what it reveals about the past.

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