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University of Arts in Belgrade, Faculty of Applied Arts
olivera.stojadinovic@fpu.bg.ac.rs
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VARIANTS OF THE LETTER B IN SERBIAN CYRILLIC TYPEFACES
Journal 18/2022 (Museum of Applied Art), pages 31-41
Article category: original scientific paper
UDC:
003.349:655.24
Abstract (original language):
??? ?? ???????? ????????? ????? ?, ?, ? ? ? ??????????????? ?? ?????? ??????????? ???????? ?????????? ?? ???????????? ????? ? ????? ????? ????? ? ?????? ??????, ? ????? ?? ???????? ??? ????? ???? ??????? ? ???????? ????????, ???? ????????? ?? ?? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ?? ????? ? ? ????????? ? ? ????????? ??????. ? ?????????? ????????? ?????????, ?????? ???????????? ?????? ?? ????????? ?????? ??????????? ??? ??????, ?? ?? ??? ??????????? ???? ??????? ?? ??????????? ?????????, ? ???? ???? ?????????? ? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ?????. ?? ?? ?? ???????? ??? ???????????, ???? ?? ???????? ????????? ??????? ???????? ? ??????? ?????? ??????????? ????????. ????????? ????????? ?????? ?? 18, 19. ? 20. ???? (?????, ?????????? ?????? ? ???????? ??????????) ???????? ?? ??????????? ?????? ???????? ? ????????? ???? ?? ?? ????????? ? ??????, ????????? ? ?????????. ???????? ?? ? ???????? ?? ?????????? ? ??????? ???????? ?????, ???? ???????????? ?????? ?? ??????????? ??????. ????????? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ?????????? ??????? ???? ?????? ????????. ???????? ?????? ????? ?????????? ????? ? ? ???????????? ??????? ??????? ??????, ? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ? ????????? ??????. ??????????? ?? ????????? ?????? ?? ?? ??????? ??????????????? ????? ????? ? ???? ?? ?????????? ?? ????????? ? ??????? ???????? ??? ?? ? ???????? ????????? ????????? ??????? ????????? ? ???????? ???????????? ?????? ???????? ????????? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ? ?????????? ???? ?????, ??? ? ? ???????????? ??????? ??????????? ??????????.
Key words: (original language)
????????? ???????, ?????? ??????????, ?????? ???????????, ??????????? ?????, ????????
Summary:
The subject of this research is the examination of the origin and development of the normal and italic form of the lowercase letter ? (equivalent to the English letter b) in the Serbian typography of the newer era, whereupon the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets share their stylistic characteristics united in the same type system. It will, therefore, help us answer the question related to the desirable form of the letter ? in the Serbian language. The aim of this paper is to resolve the dilemma of whether the alternative form of the letter ? with a diagonal stroke starting on the right, which appears today only in the Serbian language, is also mandatory, i.e. whether the form located in the primary place is suitable for the Serbian language. By reviewing and analyzing printed sources of the Serbian language from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries (books, periodicals and type catalogs), type forms present in fonts used by hand, as well as machine and photo typesetting were examined. A comparison was made with handwritten and drawn letterforms, which are the basis for type forms. Finally, digital fonts with Cyrillic letters by foreign and domestic authors were reviewed. Based on examples from the past and contemporary practice, it was concluded that both variants of the letter ? are equally acceptable in Serbian Cyrillic, and that the choice and method of application is determined by the author of the typeface, who decides whether to choose a particular variant through the localization function or rather, to offer both variants as stylistic alternates. Regarding the decisions on letter shape and stroke thickness, the recommended solutions should be sought in the examples of typefaces by domestic authors, where the parameters are the typeface style, proportions and size range, while the criteria are the recognition of individual letters and stylistic consistency.
Translated by the author
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