Glossing in documentary texts of Peter the Great’s era

A notable feature of the language during the reign of Peter the Great was the incorporation of glosses into various types of texts, including those of an offi cial nature. The use of glosses in documents from this period vividly refl ects signifi cant shifts in the conventions of offi cial and business communication, as glossing was generally uncommon due to prevailing inclination towards the use of common linguistic means. The article examines the methods of gloss insertion and their functions across different genres of Peter the Great’s era. It concludes that the predominant approach was the intra-text inclusion of glosses, typically presented within brackets and often accompanied by explanatory conjunctions. When glosses appeared without brackets, they were necessarily introduced by explanatory conjunctions such as ili (“or”) or to yest (“that is”). The frequency of gloss usage varies depending on the type and content of the document. It is further observed that glosses are especially characteristic of decrees regulating new subject areas, as well as of regulations and instructions embodying novel principles of governance and intended for long-term implementation. Additionally, the distinctive nature of glossing in the text of the Treaty of Nystadt is highlighted, as its text features a notably high number of marginal glosses.