Hand: Five Glosses (hearpslege, 109r; kyrpte, sweordes, mid ecge, abrodenes, 111r), BL Royal 15.C.vii

Name

Five Glosses (hearpslege, 109r; kyrpte, sweordes, mid ecge, abrodenes, 111r)

Manuscript

BL Royal 15.C.vii

Script

Unspecified

Scribe

Unspecified

Date

Saec. xi1

Place

WiOM

Stokes, English Vernacular Script, ca 990–ca 1035, Vol. 2 (PhD Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2006)

The first gloss may perhaps have been written by a different scribe from the other four, as the proportions are rather different, but this may also be because the first gloss was written above the first line whereas the other four were all written between lines and thus constrained. The first gloss is consistent and well written. Ascenders are long and have small wedges, and descenders are long and straight with prominent wedges at the top. Teardrop-shaped a was used, with a vertical back. Horned e was used, also with a vertical back, and with a horizontal tongue and angular hook. The top of g is flat, the mid-section hangs from approximately the centre and swings down and left before curving back to the right, then reaching left well under the preceding letter and hooking up at the tip. The shoulder of h is quite rounded and the letter close to Caroline, but that ofr is more angular and the body quite narrow. Low s was used. The other four glosses are similar but written more roughly. Ascenders are about the length of minims and have wedges or are split. Round c was used, and the back of d is short and fairly low, once rounded but once twice vertical-tipped. The upper branck of k turns down, the lower branch curves up, and the vertical has a foot on the base-line.The shoulders of m are quite angular and the letter quite set, but that of n is more rounded. Long s was used initially, and low angular s finally. Straight-limbed dotted y was used, the tail of which hooks to the right at the tip. Forms of a, e, g, and r are all like those of the first gloss.