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A chapbook is an early type of popular literature printed in early modern Europe. Produced cheaply, chapbooks were commonly small, paper-covered booklets, usually printed on a single sheet folded into books of 8, 12, 16 and 24 pages. They were often illustrated with crude woodcuts, which sometimes bore no relation to the text. When illustrations were included in chapbooks, they were considered popular prints. The tradition of chapbooks arose in the 16th century, as soon as printed books became affordable, and rose to its height during the 17th and 18th centuries. Many different kinds of ephemera and popular or folk literature were published as chapbooks, such as almanacs, children's literature, folk tales, nursery rhymes, pamphlets, poetry, and political and religious tracts. The term "chapbook" for this type of literature was coined in the 19th century. The corresponding French and German terms are ''bibliothèque bleue'' (blue book) and ''Volksbuch'', respectively.〔From ''chapmen'', chap, a variety of peddler, which folks circulated such literature as part of their stock.〕 The term "chapbook" is also in use for present-day publications, commonly short, inexpensive booklets.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://web.mit.edu/21h.418/www/nhausman/chap1.html )〕 ==Etymology== ''Chapbook'' is first attested in English in 1824, and seems to derive from the word for the itinerant salesmen who would sell such books: ''chapman''. The first element of ''chapman'' comes in turn from Old English ''cēap'' ('barter, business, dealing').〔''Oxford English Dictionary'', s.vv. ''chap-book, n.'' and ''chapman, n.''.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「chapbook」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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