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The open a which looks like cc and the t with a loop on its back are the most unfamiliar letters. However, extensive use of ligatures changes the appearance of many letters profoundly, so that e often appears in raised form, somewhat entangled with the following letter. While most of these ligatures disappeared in the change to Caroline minuscule, it is intriguing that the tall st was retained, became highly exaggerated in fancy ecclesiastical calligraphy, and even survived into some modern posh book typesetting. |
Responsiones of Pope Gregory from an 8th century codex of religious writings (Cologne Cathedral Library, MS XCI, f.57b). Images from The New Palaeographical Society, 1905, Plate 57. |
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