Language of the Czech Private Correspondence of the Humanist Period

This work is focused on the language of non-beletristic Czech private correspodence originated between 1611 and 1618 and the aim is to describe the occurence, form and function of linguistic phenomena that refer to higher or lower style. Eight letters from The Archive of Matouš Konečný (deposited in Muzeum Mladoboleslavska) were used for analysis. This manuscripts were transliterated and transcribed in order to gain as much information as possible for futher description. The characteristics of examined linguistic phenomena were taken from diachronic literature first and then compared with analysis results. We also made a conclusion about the influence of stylistic factors (writerʼs competence for creating a cultivated linguistic expression, the relationship between writer and addressee, thematic and functional aspects) on achieved standard of style refinement. Keywords: the beginning of 17th centrury, private correspodence, attribute of style, higher style, lower styl