Russian manual for the study of Arabic, Persian, and Tatar

Bekchurin, Mir Salikh. Nachal'noe rukovodstvo k izucheniiu arbskago, persilskago i tatarskago iazykov s nariechiiami bukhartsev, bashkir, kirgizov i zhitelei Turkestana i s russko-persilsko-tatarskimi slovami, raspolozhennymi po predmetam, razgovorami i propisiami.

€ 3,500.00

An interestingly multilingual manual comprising a textbook and short dictionaries in the Arabic, Persian and Tatar languages, designed for a Russian-speaking learner. Its author, Mir Salikh Bekchurin, also wrote on culture, history, and social practices in Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The text, printed in Arabic and Cyrillic scripts, provides an introduction to alphabets, phonemes, and finally vocabulary, with long sections of practice texts in Persian, Arabic, and Tatar. Near the end, practice conversations are provided, to be spoken aloud with a partner, with relevant vocabulary listed alongside each. Five lithographic plates provide examples of different script styles which a learner might encounter. Altogether an interesting glimpse into the variety of languages used historically across Central Asia.

Light wear, interior bright and clean. Provenance: 20th century Parisian private collection, kept in the family for several generations and dispersed in 2022.