Filologija, No. 32, 1999.
Original scientific paper
Ductus of the types of Glagolitic script
Marica Čunčić
; Staroslavenski institut, Zagreb
Abstract
The author discusses the literature on ductus in Latin and Glagolitic paleography. She redefines the used concepts and procedures and introduces new ones in her ductual analysis. She has selected the essential ductus of the Glagolitic types as relevant. The writing possibilities of the mediaeval scribe's quill pen is the basis for the ductual analysis. The author defines three variants in the triangular and the rounded Glagolitic type, and the second and the third ductual variant in the angular Glagolitic type. The results of the ductual analysis are expressed in average number of strokes necessary for the writing of one character in any particular Glagolitic type:
Variants 1. | 2. | 3. ||Average of 1,2,3 ||Average of 2&3
Triangular: 9,3 | 5,4 | 3,8 || 6,16 || 4,60
Rounded: 11,3 | 8,67 | 4,97 || 8,31 || 6,82
Angular: – | 5,3 | 3,5 || -- || 4,40
According to these results the rounded type was the most difficult in all three possible variants. It was more difficult than the oldest triangular type of the Glagolitic script. Easy ductus of the triangular type confirms the author's original hypothesis that it was possible to write this type of characters. The most difficult rounded type did not develop by itself but must have been transformed from older and easier triangular type in a short time reform for reasons other than the economy of writing. From all three types the easiest to write is more recent angular type. Its appearance and success during the Golden Period of Glagolitic script are due, among other things, to its easy ductus.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
165438
URI
Publication date:
13.12.1999.
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