Nouvi Zákon
Encyclopedia
The Nouvi Zákon is the most famous work of the Hungarian Slovene
writer István Küzmics
. The Nouvi Zákon is the translation of the Holy Gospel into the Prekmurje dialect
. This text and the "Szvéti Evangyeliomi" by Miklós Küzmics
are the most important works in standard Prekmurian.
, with the assistance of Hungarian and Slovene Evangelics
(Nouvi Zákon ali Testamentim Goszpodna Nasega Jezusa Krisztusa zdaj oprvics zGrcskoga na sztári szlovenszki jezik obrnyeni po Stevan Küzmicsi Surdánszkom f.)
There is dispute as to whether the Prolog (Predgovor), was written by Küzmics or by some other person. One other possible author is József Torkos, the Hungarian Evangelic Pastor. Torkos evidently wrote the Prolog in Latin while Küzmics in turn translated it into Prekmurian. This question was raised by the Slovene writer Mihály Bakos
, who followwed Küzmics as head of the Evangelic Parish of Surd
.
, (zGrcskoga na sztári szlovenszki jezik). Küzmics was born in Strukovci
in Ravensko, the flatland subregion of Prekmurje
, so the Nouvi Zákon was written in his Ravensko dialect. It is similar to the Bible of Jurij Dalmatin
, inasmuch as numerous terms and idioms are included in the Nouvi Zákon. His immediate sources apparently were Kajkavian books
. The Bishop of Zagreb
in the Middle Ages
led the Hungarian Slovenes, and his believers wrote the Kajkavian books. The Old Hymn-book of Martjanci was also used as a Kajkavian source, hence the Prekmurian language bears similarities to Kajkavian features.
The Catholic pastor
Miklós Küzmics used the Nouvi Zákon when he translated the Catholic Gospel. The Nouvi Zákon, the Szvéti Evengyeliomi of Miklós Küzmics and the Kniga Molitvena (Old Slovene Prayer Book) of József Borovnyák are the most significant texts in the Slovene and the South Slavic
literature.
Hungarian Slovenes
Hungarian Slovenes are an autochthonous ethnic and linguistic Slovene minority living in Hungary. The largest groups are the Rába Slovenes in the Rába Valley in western Hungary between the town of Szentgotthárd and the borders with Slovenia and Austria. They speak the Prekmurje dialect of Slovene...
writer István Küzmics
István Küzmics
István Küzmics also known in Slovenian as Štefan or Števan Küzmič was the most important Lutheran writer of the Slovenes in Hungary....
. The Nouvi Zákon is the translation of the Holy Gospel into the Prekmurje dialect
Prekmurje dialect
Prekmurian, also known as the Pannonian-Slovene, East-Slovene, or Wendish , is the easternmost separate dialect of Slovene, spoken in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia and by the Hungarian Slovenes in Vas county in western Hungary...
. This text and the "Szvéti Evangyeliomi" by Miklós Küzmics
Miklós Küzmics
-Biography:Küzmics was born in Dolnji Slaveči and died in Kančevci. His parents was János Küsmics and Erzsébet Lev. He was trained as a school supervisor for the Slovene Catholic schools in Prekmurje...
are the most important works in standard Prekmurian.
The Prolog (Predgovor)
Küzmics published Nouvi Zákon in 1771 in Halle, Saxony-AnhaltHalle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, with the assistance of Hungarian and Slovene Evangelics
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
(Nouvi Zákon ali Testamentim Goszpodna Nasega Jezusa Krisztusa zdaj oprvics zGrcskoga na sztári szlovenszki jezik obrnyeni po Stevan Küzmicsi Surdánszkom f.)
There is dispute as to whether the Prolog (Predgovor), was written by Küzmics or by some other person. One other possible author is József Torkos, the Hungarian Evangelic Pastor. Torkos evidently wrote the Prolog in Latin while Küzmics in turn translated it into Prekmurian. This question was raised by the Slovene writer Mihály Bakos
Mihály Bakos
Mihály Bakos, also known in Slovene as Miháo Bakoš or Mihael Bakoš, was a Hungarian Slovene Lutheran priest, author, and educator....
, who followwed Küzmics as head of the Evangelic Parish of Surd
Surd
Surd may be:* A voiceless consonant* An Nth root, any mathematical expression such as a square root, cube root or higher root* Surd, Hungary, a village in Zala county, Hungary...
.
The language
István Küzmics translated the Nouvi Zákon from the Greek languageGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, (zGrcskoga na sztári szlovenszki jezik). Küzmics was born in Strukovci
Strukovci
Strukovci is a settlement in the Puconci Municipality in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia. It is divided into Zgornji Strukovci and Spodnji Strukovci ....
in Ravensko, the flatland subregion of Prekmurje
Prekmurje
Prekmurje is a geographically, linguistically, culturally and ethnically defined region settled by Slovenes and lying between the Mur River in Slovenia and the Rába Valley in the most western part of Hungary...
, so the Nouvi Zákon was written in his Ravensko dialect. It is similar to the Bible of Jurij Dalmatin
Jurij Dalmatin
Jurij Dalmatin was a Slovene Lutheran minister, writer and translator.Born in Krško in around 1546, Dalmatin became a preacher in Ljubljana in 1572. He was the author of several religious books, such as Karšanske lepe molitve , Ta kratki würtemberški katekizmus , and Agenda...
, inasmuch as numerous terms and idioms are included in the Nouvi Zákon. His immediate sources apparently were Kajkavian books
Kajkavian dialect
The Kajkavian dialect is one of the three main dialects of Croatian. It has low mutual intelligibility with the other two dialects, Štokavian and Čakavian. All three are named after their word for "what?", which in Kajkavian is kaj....
. The Bishop of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
led the Hungarian Slovenes, and his believers wrote the Kajkavian books. The Old Hymn-book of Martjanci was also used as a Kajkavian source, hence the Prekmurian language bears similarities to Kajkavian features.
The Catholic pastor
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Miklós Küzmics used the Nouvi Zákon when he translated the Catholic Gospel. The Nouvi Zákon, the Szvéti Evengyeliomi of Miklós Küzmics and the Kniga Molitvena (Old Slovene Prayer Book) of József Borovnyák are the most significant texts in the Slovene and the South Slavic
South Slavs
The South Slavs are the southern branch of the Slavic peoples and speak South Slavic languages. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the Balkan peninsula, the southern Pannonian Plain and the eastern Alps...
literature.
Reprints
- Nouvi Zákon ali Testamentom Goszpodna Nasega Jezusa Krisztusa zdaj oprvics zGrcskoga na sztrái szlovenszki jezik obrnyeni po Stevan Kuzmicsi surdánszkom f. (1817, BratislavaBratislavaBratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
) - Nôvi Zákon ali Testamentom Goszpodna Nasega Jezusa Krisztusa zdaj oprvics zGrcskoga na sztári szlovenszki jezik obrnyeni po Küzmics Stevani surdanszkom farari. (KőszegKoszeg----Kőszeg is a town in Vas county, Hungary. The town is famous for its historical character.- History :The origins of the only free royal town in the historical garrison county of Vas go back to the third quarter of the 13th century...
, 1848, Sándor TerplánSándor TerplánSándor Terplán Hungarian Slovenian Lutheran priest and writer.He was born in the Prekmurje region in the Kingdom of Hungary, into a Lutheran family. Several priests were born in his village, both Catholic and Lutheran, including littérateurs or gentilitial politicians, such as József Borovnják and...
was make the second issue). - Nôvi Zákon ali Testamentom Goszpodna Nasega Jezus Krisztusa szlovencseni po Küzmics Stevani surdanszkom dühovniki. Vödáni po Angluskom i zvönésnyem tüváristvi za Biblie. (1883, ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
) - Nôvi Zákon ali Testamentom Goszpodna Nasega Jezus Krisztusa szlovencseni po Küzmics Stevani surdanszkom dühovniki. Vödáni po angluskom i zvönésnyem tüváristvi za Biblie. Izdajanje Britanskog i inostranog biblijsko društva Beograd, 1928. (Beograd-ZemunZemunZemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
)
External links
- Full text of the 1848 edition in Google Books