majuscul

Ma juscul, or majuscule, is a term used in typography and paleography to denote uppercase letterforms. The word derives from Latin majuscus, meaning larger or greater, and it contrasts with minuscule, the lowercase forms. In scholarly contexts, majuscules are the set of capital letters used to begin sentences, mark proper nouns, or provide emphasis, while minuscules are used for the body of text.

Historically, majuscules encompass several distinct styles. In ancient and medieval inscriptions, capitalis or capital letters appeared in monuments and manuscripts as square or majestic forms. Later, rustic capitals and uncials developed in manuscript writing, shaping the appearance of early Latin book scripts. These majuscules were typically written with broad-nib pens or chisels and were valued for their legibility and dignified appearance in formal works.

The shift from predominantly majuscule writing to widespread use of minuscule scripts began in the early medieval period with developments such as Carolingian minuscule, which improved readability and standardized spelling. Despite this shift, majuscules remained important for headings, liturgical notation, illuminated manuscripts, and, in print and digital typography, for emphasis, acronyms, and initial capitals.

In modern usage, majuscules are generally understood as the uppercase subset of a script. In computing and typography, uppercase letters correspond to the capital letters of a font’s glyph set, and the term is used across languages to describe the distinction between uppercase and lowercase forms.