HUMAČKA PLOČA: NOVO ČITANJE I ISTORIJSKA KONTEKSTUALIZACIJA

The Humac Tablet is the oldest known Serbian Cyrillic inscription, in the (Old) Serbian language. The paper gives a new reading of the tablet and its historical contextualization. The translation reads: † In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! This here is the church of (St.) “Mihovil the Angel” (Michael the Archangel). It was built by (lord) Krsmir, son of (lord) Grgur, for (this) zhupa “Vruj” (Ruljaš), together with his wife (lady) Pavica. The (lord) Grgur from the inscription has been recognized as subzhupan Grgur in the Principality of Pagania, in the text of one Latin grant, from the period of 1080–1090. In this way, the chronological limit of the sound change *vꭌ(-) > u(-) in the Old Serbian language is specified – at the time before the beginning of the 12th century