Role of linguistic information content in identifying non-existent words in the history of the Russian language

The article raises the problem of reflection and preservation of non-existent words - pseudohapaxes - in the historical dictionary. In this regard, it is revealed the role of linguistic information content of written sources in the identification of pseudohapaxes. We have analyzed the reasons for the appearance of pseudohapaxes in written monuments, and emphasized the key ones, such as clerical errors, ignorance by scientists, publishers, lexicographers of individual writing features of letters, combinations of letters, kerned letters, leading to the appearance, for example, of such pseudohapaxes as ‘тачаны ’ instead of ‘таганы ’, ‘уйтерпя ’ instead of ‘утерпя ’, ‘непорочным делом ’ instead of ‘ненарочным делом’ etc. Incorrect reading of cursive letters and other subjective factors are considered as a result of underestimation of the linguistic information content of the text. We pay special attention to the erroneous use of the term “informativeness” instead of “informational content”, admitted by language historians.