This book, covering the entire spectrum of Arabic manuscripts, and especially the handwritten book, consists of a glossary of technical terms and a bibliography. The technical terms, collected from a variety of sources embrace a vast range of topics dealing with the making and reading (studying) of Arabic manuscripts. They are: the Arabic script, penmanship, writing materials and implements, the make-up of the codex, copying and correction, decoration and bookbinding, as well as the transmission of texts and former ownership. A similar coverage is reflected in the bibliography.

Arranged alphabetically by subject and/or concept, the present handbook has been conceived, for convenience sake and quick reference, as an aid to students and researchers who are often puzzled or even sometimes intimidated by the 'mysterious' world of Arabic manuscripts and the technical language that goes with it. A companion volume to the recently published The Arabic Manuscript Tradition (2001) and its Supplement (2008), the vademecum comprises some 200 entries of varying lengths dealing with almost all aspects of Arabic manuscript studies (codicology and palaeography). It...