A script or handwriting script is a formal, generic style of handwriting (as opposed to personal handwriting), within a

writing system A writing system comprises a set of symbols, called a ''script'', as well as the rules by which the script represents a particular language. The earliest writing appeared during the late 4th millennium BC. Throughout history, each independen ...

. A hand may be a synonym or a variation, a subset of script. There is a variety of historical styles in manuscript documents, Some of them belonging to

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

, whereas some were set up for better readabiliy, utility or teaching ( teaching script). see History of the Latin script. Historic styles of handwriting may be studied by

palaeography Palaeography (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, UK) or paleography (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, US) (ultimately from , , 'old', and , , 'to write') is the study and academic disciplin ...

. Personal variations and idiosyncrasies in writing style departing from the standard hand, which may for example allow the work of a particular

scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of Printing press, automatic printing. The work of scribes can involve copying manuscripts and other texts as well as ...

copying or writing a

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...

to be identified, are described by the term handwriting (or hand). Evolution of minuscule

List of hands

* Chancery hand * Round hand * Secretary hand * Court hand * Library hand *

Blackletter Blackletter (sometimes black letter or black-letter), also known as Gothic script, Gothic minuscule or Gothic type, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 until the 17th century. It continued to be commonly used for ...

* Humanist minuscule * Carolingian minuscule * Roman cursive *

Uncial script Uncial is a majuscule script (written entirely in capital letters) commonly used from the 4th to 8th centuries AD by Latin and Greek scribes. Uncial letters were used to write Greek and Latin, as well as Gothic, and are the current style for ...

Insular script Insular script is a Middle Ages, medieval script (styles of handwriting), script system originating in Ireland that spread to England and continental Europe under the influence of Hiberno-Scottish mission, Irish Christianity. Irish missionaries ...

* Beneventan script * Visigothic script * Merovingian script

References

Sources

* * * Palaeography * Penmanship Graphology Questioned document examination {{writingsystem-stub