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Fine Dictionary

uncial

WordNet
  1. (adj) uncial
    relating to or written in majuscule letters (which resemble modern capitals) "uncial letters"
  2. (n) uncial
    a style of orthography characterized by somewhat rounded capital letters; found especially in Greek and Latin manuscripts of the 4th to 8th centuries
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
  1. Uncial
    An uncial letter.
  2. Uncial
    Of, pertaining to, or designating, a certain style of letters used in ancient manuscripts, esp. in Greek and Latin manuscripts. The letters are somewhat rounded, and the upstrokes and downstrokes usually have a slight inclination. These letters were used as early as the 1st century b. c., and were seldom used after the 10th century a. d., being superseded by the cursive style.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
  1. uncial
    Of or pertaining to an ounce. In paleography, noting that variety of majuscule character, or writing, usually found in the earlier manuscripts, as opposed to the later minuscule, or cursive. Uncial characters are distinguished from capitals (that is, capital letters similar to the simplest form of those still in use) by relatively greater roundness, inclination, and inequality in height. In Greek paleography the distinction of capital and uncial is unimportant. In Latin manuscripts the difference is strongly marked, several of the uncial letters approaching in form more or less our present lower-case letters (a, δd, εεe, f, h, l, m, q, u). Uncial manuscripts as old as the fourth century are still extant. This style of writing continued till the eighth or ninth century, the transition to minuscule being called semiuncial writing. The term uncial was originally a misapplication of St. Jerome's expression litteræ unciales, “inch-high” (large, handsome) letters. See majuscule.
  2. (n) uncial
    An uncial letter; also, uncial letters collectively; uncial writing.
  3. (n) uncial
    A manuscript written in uncials.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
  1. (adj) Uncial
    un′shal applied to that variety of majuscule writing, with large round characters, used in ancient MSS
  2. (n) Uncial
    an uncial letter, uncial writing: a MS. written in uncials
Etymology

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary L. uncialis, amounting to the twelfth part of a pound or a foot, from uncia, the twelfth part of a pound or of a foot, an ounce, an inch: cf. F. oncial,. See Inch a measure

Usage in literature

UNCIAL LETTERS, large round characters or letters used in ancient MSS. "The Nuttall Encyclopaedia" by Edited by Rev. James Wood

See, it is written in semi-uncial characters. "Atlantida" by Pierre Benoit

The history of uncial writing still remains to be written. "A Sixth-Century Fragment of the Letters of Pliny the Younger" by Elias Avery Lowe and Edward Kennard Rand

In both the uncial and the cursive manuscripts, each century has its peculiar style of writing. "Companion to the Bible" by E. P. Barrows

It is square in shape and consists of thirteen leaves, each containing three columns of uncials. "Dio's Rome, Volume 1 (of 6)" by Cassius Dio

Lord Oxford secured a 'Lucian' in uncial characters, and a splendid Missal illuminated for Henry VII. "The Great Book-Collectors" by Charles Isaac Elton and Mary Augusta Elton

The "Caroline" was in its turn an imitation of the Roman "Half-uncial. "Letters and Lettering" by Frank Chouteau Brown

From Writing in Uncials. "The Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels" by John Burgon

The uncials of Companion of the most honourable Order of the Bath. "The Sailor's Word-Book" by William Henry Smyth

The writing of the MS. is a fine uncial. "Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1" by Various