DIPLOMATIC FORM AND GRAPHIC SYSTEM IN THE LETTERS OF THE SERDARS AND GUVERNADURS RADONJIĆ (1714-1828)

Abstract

The letters of the serdars and guvernadurs Radonjic family, created in eighteenth and during the first three decades of the nineteenth century, were written in non-calligraphic, fast-written Cyrillic mode, including the national language in Njegushi, which corresponds to archaic Montenegrin dialects. The great part of the Radonjic family letters is characterized by corresponding style, the evidence of features in artistic style and by the fact that they are not numerous. The letters are recognizable through the variety of subject and motive matters, which provided the usage of different language methods. The letters of serdar Vuk, but also the letters of guvernadurs Stanisha and Jovan, apart the elements of diplomatic style, contain certain features characteristic for the national literature, which is not the case in other letters. The existing vowel system of the letters doesn’t differ from the vocal system of most our dialects, neither from the vocal system of literary language. Consonant system of the letters contains all consonants and obstruents which literary language possesses nowadays. However, there aren’t particular graphic signs which would be adequate to denote specific consonants, and that fact designates the imperfection of the graphic system.