Estrangelo

Estrangelo, also known as Estrangela, is the oldest form of the Syriac script used to write the Syriac language. It developed in Edessa (Urhoy) in the 2nd to 3rd centuries CE and served as the primary script for early Syriac Christian manuscripts. Estrangelo is noted for its relatively angular, flowing letter shapes and for the ligatures that connect letters in a characteristic, calligraphic style.

Origins and development: Estrangelo was widely used in the ancient Syriac world through late antiquity and into the early medieval period. By the 8th and 9th centuries, two other Syriac scripts—Serto (a rounded, cursive style) and Madnhayo (often associated with East Syriac usage)—began to supplant Estrangelo for daily writing. Nevertheless, Estrangelo persisted in monastic settings and for specific liturgical and scholarly purposes, and it figures prominently in the study and edition of early Syriac texts.

Usage and modern role: In contemporary contexts, Estrangelo is primarily encountered in academic typography and in liturgical materials that aim to reflect early manuscript traditions. It remains one of the three standard Syriac scripts alongside Serto and Madnhayo. Digital fonts and Unicode encoding support enable scholars to publish and analyze early Syriac works in the Estrangelo style.

Characteristics: Like other Syriac scripts, Estrangelo is written from right to left and represents a consonant-based alphabet. Vowels are typically indicated only with diacritic marks in manuscripts and scholarly editions. Estrangelo is valued for its historical significance as the earliest formally developed Syriac script and for its distinctive, legible early manuscript appearance.