Notarikon, Levin & Kitty

[Thomas Hodge]

Dear SEELANGers,
     One of my students raised a fascinating question. Is there any chance that Levin and Kitty's use of initial letters to stand for words in their famous proposal scene in _Anna Karenina_ (Part 4, chapter 13), or Tolstoy's own proposal to Sonia Bers, could have been influenced by or otherwise connected to the Jewish esoteric practice of notarikon? (See http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD for an explanation.) I found comments on a Russian word game (http://www.citycat.ru/iq/lubich/lub004.html) that make the link, but do any of you know of any other sources -- especially scholarly ones -- that have suggested a deeper connection? Many thanks, in advance, for any light you can shed. Best to all,
                               Tom Hodge, Wellesley College

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