uncial etymology

Etymology:

• Latin: ūnciālis, from ūncia ("twelfth part; inch")

Meaning and Origin:

Uncial is a style of writing used in ancient manuscripts, characterized by large, rounded letters that are approximately an inch (or twelfth part of a foot) in height. It was developed in the 3rd century AD from the Roman cursive script and was widely used in the Middle Ages for writing biblical and liturgical texts in Latin and Greek.

Uncial letters differ from modern lowercase letters in the following ways:

• They are larger and more rounded.
• They have a more consistent height and width.
• They often have no ascenders (lines that extend above the main body of the letter) or descenders (lines that extend below the main body of the letter).
• Some letters, such as "A" and "M," have distinctive shapes that are different from modern lowercase letters.

Use in Manuscripts:

Uncial was widely used in ancient manuscripts, including the Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, which are two of the oldest known copies of the New Testament. It was also used in medieval manuscripts, such as the Codex Amiatinus and the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Decline:

In the 9th century AD, uncial was gradually replaced by minuscule script, a smaller and more compact form of writing that was more efficient and easier to read. By the 11th century, uncial had largely disappeared from use in Western Europe.

uncial relate terms

• inch

  Etymology Late Old English ince from Proto West Germanic in tiōn thin thing fr

• cursive

  Etymology Cursive is derived from the Latin word cursivus which means running or f

• uncial

  Etymology Latin ūnciālis from ūncia twelfth part inch Meaning and Origin

• alone

  Etymology Old English ānlīen solitary Proto West Germanic ainli solitary Pro

• Angus

  Etymology Ultimately derived from the Pictish name Oengus pronounced ON gus Me

• anon

  Etymology From Middle English anon from Old English on ān literally in one possib

• atone

  Etymology Old English atōnian atone reconcile from Proto Germanic atōnōjan sour

• eleven

  Etymology The word eleven derives from the Old English word endleofan meaning one

• inch

  Etymology Late Old English ince from Proto West Germanic in tiōn thin thing fr

• lone

  Etymology Old English āna alone only Proto Germanic ainaz single lonely Prot

• lonely

  Etymology The word lonely comes from the Old English word lån and līc which mean

• none

  Etymology Old English nāne næne Middle English non Old French noun Latin nūnus

• null

  Etymology From Latin nullus none Meaning Having no value quantity or signif

• once

  Etymology Origin Latin Root word unus one Suffix ce adverbial ending Mean

• ounce

  Etymology The word ounce comes from the Late Latin word uncia which means a twelft

• quincunx

  Etymology Latin quincunx from quinque five uncia twelfth part ix adjectival suf

• triune

  Etymology Latin triunus meaning three in one From the Latin prefix tri three

• unanimous

  Etymology The word unanimous comes from the Latin word unanimus which is made up of

• unary

  Etymology Unary derives from Latin unus meaning one Meaning Unary refers to som

• Uniate

  Etymology Derived from the Latin word unitas meaning unity Meaning A term refe

• unilateral

  Etymology Uni from Latin one Later from Latin side Meaning and Origin The t

• uncial

  Etymology Latin ūnciālis from ūncia twelfth part inch Meaning and Origin

• unicorn

  Etymology Middle English unicorne 14th century Old French licorne 12th century Vu

• union

  Etymology The word union derives from the Old French term union 12th century which

• unique

  Etymology Unique originates from the Latin word unicus meaning single or one of a

• unison

  Etymology From Middle English unison from Old French unison from Latin unisonus from

• unite

  Etymology From Middle French unite from Latin unitas from unus one Meaning Th

• unity

  Etymology The word unity originates from the Latin word unitas which means oneness

• universal

  Etymology The word universal comes from the Latin adjective universalis which means

• universe

  Etymology of Universe The word universe derives from the Old French univers which

• university

  Etymology The word university originates from the Latin word universitas which means

• zollverein

  Etymology The word Zollverein is a German compound word derived from Zoll German f

• minuscule

  Etymology The word minuscule derives from the Latin word minusculus which means ver

• script

  Etymology The word script is derived from the Latin word scriptum which means writt

• paraphernalia

  Etymology of Paraphernalia The word paraphernalia is derived from Late Latin paraph

• orchid

  Etymology of Orchid The word orchid originates from the Greek word orchis which me

• prevent

  Etymology Prevent comes from the Middle French prévenir from the Latin praevenire a

• authentic

  Etymology Ancient Greek authentikos meaning genuine original trustworthy Latin

• grave

  Etymology The word grave has its roots in the Latin word gravis which means heavy