Cursivas

Cursivas is the plural form of cursiva, a term used in Spanish to refer to two related concepts: italic typefaces in typography and cursive handwriting. Although the same word names both ideas, they belong to different domains—one digital/print, the other handwritten.

In typography, cursivas (italic typefaces) are letters that lean to the right and often have distinctive shapes compared to the regular roman style. They are designed to provide contrast and are commonly used for emphasis, for foreign words or technical terms, and for the titles of works in certain conventions. Historically, italics emerged from Renaissance Italy and were popularized in printing by publishers such as Aldus Manutius in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. In modern use, a font may offer a true italic style, which features distinct letterforms, or an oblique style, which is simply a slanted version of the regular letters.

In handwriting, cursiva refers to the connected script in which most letters flow into one another. This cursive writing is typically taught in schools as a faster, more fluid way to write compared with block letters. Variants of cursiva exist across regions and languages, with differences in the degree of connection, letter shapes, and the speed at which it is written. Cursive is commonly used for personal notes and signatures, though it is less prevalent in formal printed materials.

Overall, cursivas covers both the typographic practice of using italics and the handwritten cursive style, each serving distinct purposes in communication: emphasis and readability in print, and speed and fluency in handwriting.