nusxalari

Nusxalari is an Uzbek term referring to the copies or editions of a document, manuscript, or printed work. The word derives from nusxa, meaning copy, with the possessive suffix -lari indicating plurality or belonging. In archival and library contexts, nusxalar can mean manuscript copies housed in different collections or the various editions of a text produced over time. In textual criticism, studying nusxalar helps scholars reconstruct the author’s original wording, identify scribal errors, regional spellings, and editorial changes that occurred during transmission.

Nusxalar may be handwritten manuscripts in Arabic or Persian scripts used historically in Central Asia or printed editions from different periods and printers. Differences between nusxalar can include orthography, punctuation, marginal notes, and added or omitted passages. Preservation and cataloging of nusxalar are important for cultural heritage, and many libraries digitize them to increase access while ensuring accurate metadata such as dates, scribal hands, and provenance.

In Uzbek literary and religious culture, nusxalar have played a key role in preserving poetry, legal codes, and religious texts, especially before the era of mass printing. Modern scholarship often uses the term to describe the set of all known copies of a work and to discuss their variation.

Related concepts include nusxa, manuscript, textual criticism, and cataloging in library science.