Half-uncial writing The early cursive was the medium in which the minuscule forms were gradually evolved from the corresponding majuscule forms. Minuscule writing was therefore cursive in its inception. As the minuscule letters made their appearance in the cursive writing of documents, they were adopted and given calligraphic form by the copyists of literary texts, so that the set minuscule alphabet was constituted gradually, letter by letter, following the development of the minuscule cursive. Just as some documents written in the early cursive show a mixture of majuscule and minuscule forms, so certain literary papyri of the 3rd century,Oxyrhynchus Papyri, cit., iv, pl. vi, No. 668; xi, pl. vi, No. 1,379. and inscriptions on stone of the 4th centuryPal. Soc., cit., pl. 127-8; Arch. pal. ital., cit., v, pl. 6. yield examples of a mixed set hand, with minuscule forms side by side with capital and uncial letters. The number of minuscule forms increases steadily in texts written in the mixed hand, and especially in marginal notes, until by the end of the 5th century the majuscule forms have almost entirely disappeared in some manuscripts. This quasi-minuscule writing, known as the "half-uncial"Cf. many examples in Émile Chatelain, Semiuncial Script, passim. thus derives from a long line of mixed hands which, in a synoptic chart of Latin scripts, would appear close to the oldest librariae, and between them and the epistolaris (cursive), from which its characteristic forms were successively derived. It had a considerable influence on the continental scriptura libraria of the 7th and 8th centuries.
Half-uncial writing The early cursive was the medium in which the minuscule forms were gradually evolved from the corresponding majuscule forms Minuscule writing was therefore cursive in its inception As the minuscule letters made their appearance in the cursive writing of documents they were adopted and given calligraphic form by the copyists of literary texts so that the set minuscule alphabet was constituted gradually letter by letter following the development of the minuscule cursive Just as some documents written in the early cursive show a mixture of majuscule and minuscule forms so certain literary papyri of the 3rd centuryOxyrhynchus Papyri cit iv pl vi No 668; xi pl vi No 1379 and inscriptions on stone of the 4th centuryPal Soc cit pl 127-8; Arch pal ital cit v pl 6 yield examples of a mixed set hand with minuscule forms side by side with capital and uncial letters The number of minuscule forms increases steadily in texts written in the mixed hand and especially in marginal notes until by the end of the 5th century the majuscule forms have almost entirely disappeared in some manuscripts This quasi-minuscule writing known as the "half-uncial"Cf many examples in Émile Chatelain Semiuncial Script passim thus derives from a long line of mixed hands which in a synoptic chart of Latin scripts would appear close to the oldest librariae and between them and the epistolaris (cursive) from which its characteristic forms were successively derived It had a considerable influence on the continental scriptura libraria of the 7th and 8th centuries