Insular Half-Uncial: Letter Forms

Insular Half-Uncial: Letter Forms

This is a stylised development of Roman Half-Uncial. The Book of Kells is late for a major Insular Half-Uncial manuscript, and its letter-forms are highly wrought examples of graphic design.

There are no really new letter forms, but sometimes this script uses alternative forms, some from the majuscule Uncial scripts, some from the Half-Uncial:

The second e is only used in conjunction with t, as above, but it will appear in the Insular Minuscule script which follows.

	This script has a rather contorted letter y, from the Greek g, in moyses, in line 14.
	Warning: do not mix it up with f.

Other characteristic forms are:

	The 'o+c' letter a which we noticed emerging in Roman Half-Uncial.
	A rather top-heavy letter s.

	The letter r has reverted to the 'upper-case' shape, though the 'lower-case' shape appears in other Insular Half-Uncial manuscripts like the Lindisfarne Gospels.
	Warning: do not mix this up with n!
	The letter q sometimes acquires a curved descender.
	Warning: do not mix this up with g!

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