At the end of the Roman Empire (5th century AD), several variants of the cursive minuscule developed through Western Europe.
æt ðɪ ˈɛnd ʌvðə ɹˈoʊmən ˈɛmpaɪɚ fˈɪfθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi ˌeɪdˈiː, sˈɛvɹəl vˈɛɹiənts ʌvðə kˈɜːsɪv mˈɪnəskjˌuːl dɪvˈɛləpt θɹuː wˈɛstɚn jˈʊɹɹəp.