“Per l’interpretazione dell’aggettivo полоубоуивъ nell’iscrizione novgorodiana su corteccia di betulla N° 735 (metà del secolo XII)”

The Novgorodian birch-bark document N° 735 dating from the mid-twelfth century is a short letter that was sent by Jakim and Sem’jun to a certain Dmitr. The two senders ask the recipient to provide the bearer of the letter with a horse to enable him to make a journey. The document is of interest to linguists due to the attestation of the adjective ‘poloubouiv%’ referring to the horse. The meaning of this otherwise unknown word remains obscure. The author o&ers an interpretation of this Old Russian hapax that is based on a comparison with a similar term found in the Old East Slavic version of the Byzantine poem “Digenis Akritis”.