There are some new letter forms: | ||
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g is like a modern y with a horizontal head-stroke: the uprights of the g stick up above this like a pair of horns. | |
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k is like a modern 'copperplate' k, but is doing a high kick. | |
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Final s has closed up completely into a figure of eight (the 'Danish pastry' s). |
Other letter forms are not exactly new, but more swingingly cursive: | ||
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p has developed a characteristic sway. | |
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v and w (definitely a 'double v') have broad slanting downstrokes with an initial curve for impetus. |
Because this is written in English, some of the vernacular English letters familiar from Anglo-Saxon appear: | ||
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þ ('thorn') and 3 ('yogh') are used, though | ![]() |
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þ alternates occasionally with th, as in with in lines 14 and 17. | ![]() |
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And 3 alternates with y: compare you in line 4 with youre in line 24. | ![]() |
Variant Letters | ||
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As usual, there are two forms of s, obeying the usual rules. |
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![]() | There are also the usual two forms of r, the 2-shaped r following curved and bowed letters. |
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v is used at the beginning of words, and u everywhere else (u can look remarkably like an n). |
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There are two forms of b. |
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![]() | i is the usual form. There is an example of ij in the Latin stage direction in line 8. |
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However, there is an interesting development. The English first person singular personal pronoun I is written with the longer form of i, which looks like a j. This is possibly because as small i standing by itself it might not be very visible: or possibly because this has become the habit when writing the Roman numeral for 1. |
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It also appears at the beginning of some words, such as Ilke in lines 26 and 33, and Ire in line 32. However, is always begins with a small i. |
This scribe seems uncertain which form of y he is going to adopt:
He has two forms: | ![]() |
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but the first seems identical with English þ, and it is very easy to confuse them. (This is the 'Ye Olde Englysshe Tea Shoppe' syndrome.) | ![]() |
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