Minuscule Script: The Medieval Revolution in Writing

Minuscule is a term in palaeography (the study of old handwriting) that describes a style of script that uses small, connected, and cursive letters, essentially representing the historical precursor to modern lowercase letters.
This script style marked a significant revolution in book production and the transmission of texts, particularly in the Byzantine Empire.
 
1. Key Characteristics of Minuscule
The defining features of minuscule script distinguish it sharply from the earlier Majuscule/Uncial hands:

Feature	Description	Purpose
Quadrilinear Structure	Letters are written between four imaginary lines, allowing for ascenders (stems extending above the main body, like in 'b' or 'h') and descenders (tails extending below the main body, like in 'p' or 'g').	Enables a more compact, dense, and efficient use of the writing surface.
Cursive & Connected	Letters are smaller, more rounded, and frequently joined by ligatures (strokes that connect two or more letters).	Greatly increases the speed of writing compared to the separate, formal strokes of Uncials.
Separated Words	Minuscule manuscripts often include spaces between words and more sophisticated punctuation.	Vastly improves legibility and ease of reading aloud, especially for continuous text.

 
The transition from Majuscule (Uncial) to Minuscule script was a watershed moment in the history of biblical and classical transmission.

• Time Period: The Greek Minuscule script emerged and became the standardized book hand in the Byzantine Empire around the 9th century CE.

• The Byzantine Text-Type: The rise of minuscule script coincides with the standardization of the Byzantine Text-Type, which became the dominant form of the New Testament text. Consequently, the vast majority (over 90%) of surviving Greek New Testament manuscripts are Minuscules, written on parchment or paper.

• Efficiency and Preservation: The faster, more economical minuscule script enabled scribes to produce copies with unprecedented speed. This resulted in a massive surge in the number of manuscripts copied, which is why thousands of minuscule copies of the New Testament still survive today. They were crucial in preserving countless works of classical and early Christian literature that might otherwise have been lost.

• Modern Influence: Minuscule letter forms are the direct ancestors of the lowercase letters used in modern Greek and were adopted by Renaissance printers as the basis for early Greek and Latin typefaces.

3. Minuscule in Textual Criticism
In the field of New Testament textual criticism, Minuscule manuscripts are identified by Arabic numerals (e.g., Minuscule 1, Minuscule 28, etc.) and represent the majority of the textual tradition.
While the earlier Majuscules (Uncials and Papyri) are prized for their age, the Minuscules are valued for their sheer volume and for their witness to the long-standing textual tradition that underpinned the common Bible text of the Eastern Church (the Byzantine Text-Type).
 

2. Historical Context and Importance