DUAL IN ŠIMUN KOŽIČIĆ BENJA’S MISAL HRUACKI

The particularity of language present in the books printed in Šimun Kožičić Benja’s Glagolitic printing house in Rijeka has already been noticed in the literature. When comparing the Old Slavic and Old Croatian elements in these editions, the aspiration for Croatisation was sometimes attributed to Kožičić. A more accurate and systematic analysis of the function of these two linguistic systems in Kožičić’s unique concept of literary language is still awaiting. This article defines the status of dual as a grammatical category in Kožičić’s Misal hruacki. Recent research has shown that its deviation from the language norm of the earlier Croatian Glagolitic missals is to the greatest extent the result of editing according to the Vulgate. Since in the 16th century dual was a prominent Old Slavic element and was not conditioned by the Latin model, its usage should be considered as a deliberate and intentional act of reaching out for the (Croatian) Church Slavonic system