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Medieval Scripts

This page follows the medieval scripts listed in the Art & Architecture Thesaurus (Getty Research Institute, accessed June 13, 2018). It provides a clear starting point for expanding and describing the scripts covered by DMMapp. The thesaurus uses the following hierarchy:

Gothic Scripts

  • Bastarda
  • Gothic cursive
  • Textura (Gothic script)

Half Uncial

Humanistic Scripts

  • Antiqua
  • Humanistic cursive

Insular Scripts

  • Insular majuscule
  • Insular minuscule

Later Roman Cursive

Merovingian Scripts

  • Luxeuil script
  • Merovingian chancery script

Older Roman Cursive

Protogothic

Rustic Capitals

Square Capitals

Uncial

Visigothic Minuscule

(AAT Hierarchy Display, Getty Research, accessed June 13, 2018.)

The list does not include “minuscule” or “majuscule,” which the Art & Architecture Thesaurus defines as general types of script rather than historical families. Minuscule letters have ascenders or descenders beyond their general base and top lines; majuscule letters remain between head and base lines. It also omits Copperplate (script) because that style was dominant in the eighteenth century and falls outside the scope of a medieval-scripts list. (Art & Architecture Thesaurus Full Record Display, Getty Research, accessed June 13, 2018; Marina Dossena and Ingrid Marijke Tieken-Boon van Ostade, Studies in Late Modern English Correspondence: Methodology and Data, Bern: Lang, 2008.)

A Growing List

Only a handful of scripts on this list have a page so far. If you would like to see another script covered, open an issue.

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