Unzial

Unzial, also known as uncial script in English, is a majuscule handwriting style used in ancient and medieval manuscripts, especially for Greek and Latin texts. The term Unzial (or uncial) is used in various languages to describe this form of writing; in German it is commonly referred to as Unziale Schrift or Unzialschrift.

Uncial developed in Late Antiquity, rising to prominence in the 4th to 6th centuries. It spread in the Greek world and the Latin West, where it was the standard script for book production in monasteries and scriptoriums. It gradually declined after the 8th or 9th century, overtaken by minuscule scripts during the Carolingian Renaissance.

Characteristics: Uncial is written with rounded, upright capital-like letters. Letterforms are mostly large and rounded, with strong emphasis on vertical strokes; word division was often minimal or absent in early examples, with punctuation and ligatures used later. It is typically a majuscule script, though some later practice shows a form of "half-uncial" that blends features with ongoing development toward minuscule.

Usage and significance: Uncial was used for religious and scholarly texts, including bibles, liturgical works, and patristic writings. Greek uncial and Latin uncial manuscripts are crucial primary sources for the textual history of the New Testament and classical literature.

Etymology and legacy: The name derives from Latin uncialis, a term used by paleographers to denote this uppercase-like script, sometimes linked to uncia meaning inch, reflecting letter height. Today uncial is studied to date and localize manuscripts and as an influence on modern typefaces.