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| The History of t |
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The letter t is generally one of the less problematic ones. It may be tall with the crossbar partway up the vertical, or it may be short with a broad crossbar at the top, but it generally does not display too many eccentric forms.
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In the Old Roman square capitals, T has the familiar simple angular form |
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In the rustic capital script, T has acquired a foot, and the horizontal and vertical lines show a slight curve. |
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The uncial T has an assymetrical crossbar with a curl at one end and a fine foot. |
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In this example of New Roman cursive, the minuscule t is short, comprising a curl surmounted by a broad crossbar. |
| In the pre-Carolingian minuscule scripts or National Hands, t is short with a curled lower section and a broad crossbar. A tricky form found in some scripts has a closed loop on the back, making it easy to confuse with a. |
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In a 6th century half uncial script t is short and broad. |
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In the specialised book script Corbie ab t has a loop on its back. |
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An old northern Italian book hand of the 8th century displays the simple broad t. |
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This sample of t from Merovingian minuscule or Germanic book hand has the curl at the base coming up to meet the crossbar, forming a closed letter. |
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This t from the variant of Merovingian minuscule known as Luxeuil minuscule has a small loop on the back. |
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The Visigothic script has produced a t with a large closed loop at the back. |
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The letter t in the formal script known as known as insular half uncial has a particularly long crossbar. |
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This 10th century example of t from insular minuscule is also short and very wide. |
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In this example from a developed form of Beneventan minuscule the letter t has a large closed loop at the back. |
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In Merovingian
chancery script the letter t has a small
closed loop on its back. |
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In the old curialis of the papal chancery the lower loop of t comes right around to form a closed loop at the bottom. |
In Carolingian book hands t remains short and wide. This simple form takes over in the document hands of the period. Extraneous loops disappear.
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In this version of Caroline minuscule, t is a simple, short, curved letter with a wide crossbar. |
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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 retains the closed lower loop of its predecessor on the letter t. |
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By the 12th century the diplomatic minuscule of the papal chancery has adopted the simple, short, open, broad t. |
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The 12th century diplomatic minuscule of the Imperial German chancery has produced an entirely similar t. There are no strange wiggly elaborations. |
| In the formal Gothic book hands, the letter t tends to grow taller, so that the vertical extends above the crossbar. |
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This protogothic t from a 12th century French book hand has a wide crossbar, but the vertical extends just above it. The base forms a broad curve. |
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The 14th century Gothic rotunda version of the letter t is similar in general form. |
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This 13th century Gothic textura t of medium grade is short and does not extend above the crossbar. |
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The very formal Gothic prescissa has a very narrow and angular t which extends above the crossbar and has a blocky foot at the base rather than a curve. |
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A relatively informally written late 15th or early 16th Gothic textura script has a taller and narrower t with only a slight curve and a hairline foot at the base. |
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A 15th century Dutch language formal Gothic textura t is rather more angular than the above, but essentially similar. |
| In document hands and later cursive scripts, t generally does not cause too many difficulties. |
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 Histories of Individual Letters |
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History of Scripts |
| What is Paleography? |
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