Carolingian minuscule

As Carolingian minuscule (also karlingische minuscule ) ( Carolina) is a font called, which was based on latest findings middle of the 8th century as a regional font in the royal monastery of Corbie. The Carolingian minuscule characterized by clarity and simplicity of the typeface. From it developed over the Gothic minuscule, lowercase letters of the German writings and on the humanistic minuscule today lowercase letters of the Latin alphabet.

Emergence and dissemination

As Carolingian minuscule is called the stylization everyday writing. Previously it was assumed that it had been created in the court school of Charlemagne. A manuscript that has grown up around 765 in the scriptorium of Corbie under Abbot Leutchar, has three sides but on first implementation attempts of the Carolingian minuscule. It therefore is the oldest documented writing in Carolingian minuscule, caused by a progressive Kalligraphierung the Younger Roman cursive. From the Court School of Charlemagne, this new font then spread out, eg reaching the monastery of Saint -Martin de Tours under the abbot Alcuin of York. It replaces the hitherto common latin font in uppercase ( majuscule ) and the uncial, a font that was caused by rounding of the letters of the Roman Capitalis and the quadrates. The use and the book book is followed henceforth a consistent pattern: the minuscule script has upper and lower lengths, the words are clearly separated from each other, line beginnings can be highlighted with jewelry or capital letters, the fine -fat contrast of strokes allows easy readability.

Through the initiated under the reign of Charlemagne revival of ancient education and education for a return to the buchstabierende letter was strongly encouraged. After its creation in Corbie, the Carolingian minuscule from the 9th century by the writing centers of the Carolingian Empire (among Tours, Reims and Aachen ) spread very quickly. Towards the end of the 11th century developed in Belgium and northern France from the Carolingian minuscule the early gothic minuscule as a new font type that quickly spread throughout Europe and the Carolingian minuscule displaced. Later it developed from the Carolingian minuscule Gothic minuscule, and the humanistic minuscule. The preoccupation with the authors of antiquity led until the Italian humanists back to the early Middle Ages, most of Carolingian manuscripts back, often the oldest attainable tradition witnesses of these texts. The imitation of this font as the "Old " ( mis-) understood Carolingian minuscule was also used for letterpress printing ( Antiqua ) and remained still in use today. The Carolingian minuscule, therefore, forms the basis for our modern lowercase both the writing and the publication.

In Carolingian manuscripts a font hierarchy is used, have been designed with the introductory pages. In addition to an initial then be at the top of the hierarchy and thus at the top of this page Capitalis, upon further gradation requirements uncial and finally Halbunzialen before the " normal " text follows in minuscule. However, many inexpensive manuscripts do not go beyond a two-level hierarchy ( Capitalis and minuscule ).

Form of development

Since the middle of the 8th century were formed in the heavily interspersed with ligatures half italics again reinforces the individual letter. The Carolingian minuscule is the first time to prove to 765 in Corbie. In the first phase, the Carolingian minuscule nevertheless still contained numerous ligatures and extreme regional formations. In a second phase began around 820 the font design was uniform, the letters were written slimmer and almost always quite inclined. In the late 9th century, a solidification of the forms is increasingly recognized, and often already taking with arrival and smears, the number of ligatures used again. In the 11th century, according to its shape for the "o" named obliquely oval style took shape in southern Germany, which remained dominant for about 200 years.

Font sample

Calligraphic Carolingian minuscule (left), Capitalis as a display typeface for the dedication address ( right), clumsy German Carolingian minuscule as an addendum of the later 9th century at the bottom ( Muspilli ).

466763
de