different inks

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The study does not detail chemical recipes but describes the functional use of inks in the production of glosses and commentaries. It notes that glosses in local languages (such as Soninke) and Arabic commentaries were added to source texts to explain meaning and grammatical structure (p. 128). In some manuscripts, 'alternating use of different inks' (p. 133-134) was utilized alongside careful layout (arrangement in blocks) to organize these additions. Conversely, the text notes that in many manuscripts, annotations were 'often written in the same handwriting and ink' as the main text (p. 143), suggesting that they were not added spontaneously during lectures but were transcribed collectively at a later stage (p. 143).

Evidence

"the neat handwriting employed and (in some instances) the alternating use of different inks, would have required careful attention, making spontaneous production and the immediate transition from speech to writing highly improbable."

Remarks

The paper examines a corpus of approximately thirty manuscripts from West Africa, specifically the Casamance region of Senegal and the Kayes region of Mali, dating from the late 18th to the 20th century (p. 128-129). The author argues that the visual characteristics of the ink and handwriting provide evidence for the educational nature of the manuscripts. The consistency of ink in voluminous marginalia (p. 143) and the neat, systematic use of alternating inks (p. 133-134) suggest highly organized scribal practices rather than casual note-taking. The text mentions that interlinear glosses are largely written in the vernacular (Soninke), while marginal commentaries are typically in Arabic (p. 128).