adj. Of or relating to a style of writing characterized by somewhat rounded capital letters and found especially in Greek and Latin manuscripts of the fourth to the eighth century AD. n. 1. A style of writing characterized by somewhat rounded capital letters. It provided the model from which most of the capital letters in the modern Latin alphabet are derived. 2. A capital letter written in this style. [From Late Latin ūnciālēs (litterae), inch-high (letters), uncials, pl. of Latin ūnciālis, inch-high, from ūncia, a twelfth part, ounce, inch; see oi-no- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] ![]() (click for a larger image) uncial |
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