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| The History of q |
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The history of the letter q is not too complicated. The main variation that occurs is in the treatment of the descender, so that it may sometimes be confused with g. However, while a q may look like a g in a generic sense, usually they are fairly clearly differentiated within any individual script.
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In the Old Roman square capitals, as shown here from a 4th century copy of Virgil, Q is very round with a slightly curved tail. |
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In the rustic capital script, Q is essentially the same. |
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The uncial Q has a closed upper loop and a slightly curved descender, providing the model for the letter is later scripts. |
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In this example of New Roman cursive, the minuscule q has an open upper loop and a very curly tail. |
| In the pre-Carolingian minuscule scripts or National Hands, q is relatively standardised on the uncial form. In some of these scripts, g is a letter with an open top rather than a closed loop and a curvy descender, thus differentiating the two letters. |
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In a 6th century half uncial script q has a closed loop and a long straight descender. |
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In the specialised book script Corbie ab q is a simple closed loop with a slightly bent descender. |
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An old northern Italian book hand of the 8th century displays a q with a very short descender. |
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This sample of q from Merovingian minuscule or Germanic book hand has a long descender with a slight kink in the tail. |
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This q from the variant of Merovingian minuscule known as Luxeuil minuscule has a straight descender. |
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The Visigothic script has produced a q with a descender that kinks to the left. |
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The letter q in the formal script known as known as insular half uncial has a very short, straight descender. |
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This 9th century example of q from insular minuscule has a long, straight descender. |
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In this example from a developed form of Beneventan minuscule the letter q has a slightly pointed descender. |
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In Merovingian chancery script the letter q is simple and closed. |
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In the old curialis of the papal chancery q is truly unique, with a big curly open loop and a little kinky tail. |
In Carolingian scripts q does not really change much.
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In this version of Caroline minuscule, q is straight and simple. |
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A sample from a forged 12th century monastic charter is the same. |
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The later papal curialis of the 11th century has closed the loop of q and extended the tail, making it look more like a capital. |
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By the 12th century the diplomatic minuscule of the papal chancery produces a q similar to other scripts of the day, with a descender that curls to the left. |
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The 12th century diplomatic minuscule of the Imperial German chancery has produced a q with an extremely long wiggly descender. |
| In the formal Gothic book hands, the letter q resembles the basic Caroline minuscule form, becoming more angular as the script develops. There is also a tendency for the descender to become shorter and to be straight. |
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This protogothic q from a 12th century French book hand is essentially the same as that of Caroline minuscule. |
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The 14th century Gothic rotunda version of the letter q is neat and rounded. |
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This 13th century Gothic textura q of medium grade looks essentially the same as the above. |
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The very formal Gothic prescissa has a very narrow and angular q in which the loop is not entirely closed in order to insert a chunky foot into it. |
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A relatively informally written late 15th or early 16th Gothic textura script has an angular q. |
| In document hands and later cursive scripts, q develops a few variants. |
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 Histories of Individual Letters |
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History of Scripts |
| What is Paleography? |
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