Uncial

Uncial is a script style consisting of rounded majuscule (capital) letters commonly used in Greek and Latin manuscripts from approximately the 3rd to the 8th centuries CE. The name derives from the Latin uncialis, referring to the characteristic rounded shapes.

Origins and development: Uncial evolved from late antique majuscule scripts and half-uncial writing in monasteries. It emerged in the Mediterranean world and spread throughout the Byzantine and Western Christian worlds. It remained in wide use for book production until the rise of minuscule writing in the 9th century.

Geographic and textual use: In Greek manuscripts, uncial was the standard script for biblical and classical texts, with famous examples including Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. In Latin manuscripts, uncial was used for religious texts, liturgical books, and early vernacular. It is often found in insular and continental manuscripts, though insular script often has its own distinctive forms.

Character and practice: Uncial letters are generally rounded and separated; many forms are simple and regular. Word separation was not always used in early uncial; ligatures were less common than in later scripts. Spacing, punctuation, and diacritics vary by period and locale.

Decline and legacy: By the 8th–9th centuries, uncial began to be supplanted by the more compact Carolingian minuscule, developed to facilitate readability and copying. Today, uncial is studied as a palaeographic tool for dating manuscripts and understanding scribal practices.