| Abstrakt: |
The present article engages with the pragmatic definition of a medieval notebook. That is to say, not with a definition through genre and specific difference, but a characterization of the object of study by means of enumerating some of its traits. In order to do so, the article first follows how medieval authors themselves named their notebooks. The terminology is varied and complex: libellus, quaternus, volumen and rapullarius seem to be the most commonly employed. In the article, the plethora of terms used is associated with pertinent examples of usage. Second, we take a look at what types of manuscripts have been called notebooks in the secondary literature. This allows us to showcase the contemporary approach to this type of manuscript. Finally, we present some traits that manuscripts that can be categorized as notebooks exhibit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
