The Roman forms : the lower serif of this type commonly points
Alphabet out (see figs. 2o6, 188).

tc its 4. E’s three arms (& F’s two) are approximately

Derivatives equal in length in the best early forms (Plate II, &c.).

FI. See B, 2.

2. See C, 3 and 4 (and E, 4 above).

3. The development and traditions of each
letter being considered, nearly all of the
free stems of A, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M,
N, P, R, T, V, W, X, Y may be drawn out for
occasional forms (see fig. 188).

4. The elongated stems of F, I, J, P, T, Y may
hang below the line, or they may (occasionally)
stand on the line and overtop the other letters.

G I. See C, 1, 2, 3, and 4.

2. The stem may be drawn out below
the line (F, 3).

3. The stem sometimes forms an
angle with the lower ‘arm’ (this is
safest: see fig. 148), sometimes they blend (fig. 147).

4. The point of the lower ‘arm’ may project a
very little beyond the stem to mark the outer angle.

5. The round “gothic” G (as also the other

“round” letters: p. 85) may generally be used
freely together with the “square” Roman Capitals.

6. See O, 2.

Hi. The left-hand stem is occasionally
drawn out above (F, 3 & comp. fig. 3), and
2. this form is sometimes associated
with an ornamental cross-bar (fig. 189).

3. H and N may slightly widen out

above.

246

II. The stem may be drawn out above
(see Plate XXIV) or below (F, 3 and 4).

2. See J, 2.

Ji. The stem or tail may be drawn out (F,
3 and 4).

2. Note.—With regard to the use of I for
J (and V for U):1 this—the classical Latin
usage—is correct (for the capital forms) in a
modern Latin inscription. But for modern English,
in which these letters are strongly differentiated, the
tailed J and the round U are to be preferred. Be¬
sides the suspicion of affectation attaching to the
other mode, its strangeness gives an appearance of
awkwardness—almost amounting to illegibility—
to common words, such as “A QVAINT IVG”
or “IAM IAR.” And, at the least, very careful

* J. C. Egbert in an “Introduction to the Study of Latin
Inscriptions” says, “J was not specialised as a letter until the 15th
Century." It would seem that in early inscriptions a tall J
was frequently used for J between vowels, and for I at the begin¬
nings of words : later, while the medial I remained straight, the
initial form was curved to the left and used for both I and J ; this
curved initial form, J , at length became identified with the
letter J.

Similarly, it appears that V was used for an initial, and U
for a medial; and later, the V form became identified with
the consonant.

In the words 3Jn *tgt, nattu in fig. 95, the

initial I is curved like a J, while the medial i’s are straight;
the initial V has a v form, while the medial V in nativ(itatis) has
a n formt

247

The Roman
Alphabet
& its
Derivatives