Hand: pi, Exeter 3500

U2 - EXON Project

This hand may be recognised by the peculiar shape of the ampersand; the angular and open tail of g; the extended left leg in x; the y-shaped abbreviation mark; frequent use of -or- ligature.

1. Letterforms

a.- Bowl can be wide and round or angular with a rather short, straight head.

d.- Round and straight-backed forms in use. The former has a short ascender (often curved) rising under 45º (lobe is often open); the latter, which is seldom used, has a slightly curved shaft turning to the right at the top (as with other ascenders).

e.- Lower component may be long but barely rises from the baseline. Round back and projecting tongue.

g.- Head can be rather wide and occasionally angular (even open). Tail starts on the right side of the head and has a neck (whose length may vary significantly) which turns right and is normally flat at the bottom. It remains open even though it has a finishing flick up.

h.- Ascender is slightly curved and both limbs stand on the baseline.

p.- Bowl is normally angular, particularly its top section.

s.- It stands on the baseline and has a small hood on the left. Shaft is about minim height. Head is round as an open hook.

t.- Curved shaft often cuts across headstroke.

x.- Left leg is elongated below the baseline as a straight hairline. It may be 2-3mm long.

æ.- e-component, which is added to a regular a shape, reaches over the headline (ælwardus 49v1).

2. Treatment of minims, ascenders & descenders

Minims.- They normally show an approach stroke but the finishing stroke is often more subtle. Also, in m and n, the loop linking minims can be very angular.

Ascenders.- Normally, they are slightly curved to the right with no approach stroke at top. Only instances with an approach stroke include l and capital I.

Descenders.- Straight and about double minim length.

3. Form of capitals

W.- As with V, curled left arm and horizontal approach stroke on the right one, which is slightly curved.

4. Forms of punctuation

Punctus simplex seems to be only form of punctuation in use.

5. Form of paraph (gallows mark)

Two different forms on the same page, which suggests one (probably the first) was done by a different scribe (though their styles do not fit with any of the two other scribes in the same quire). The first (l.1) shows a rounded corner with the top stroke curling upwards (not too dissimilar from ‘mu’ and, especially, ‘omicron’); the second, has a J-shape with a cross-stroke.

6. Forms of abbreviation

Ampersand.- The a-component and the e-component may occasionally have similar sizes. The final stroke is elongated, it starts with an approach stroke and is attached to the e-component.

et nota.- Not used.

Overline.- Sloping curl.

-ur.- c-shaped with a tail rising at 45º.

-us.- Angular and open 9-shaped compendium.

-orum.- N/A.

q- forms.- qua and par with open a.

e cauda.- Open fishbone. Not too dissimilar from beta. One single instance found which, in fact, could be a later addition.

pr- forms.- In pro hook is continuation of bowl at baseline.

other forms.- N/A.

est.- N/A.

7. Forms of suspension

y-shaped mark.

8. Ligatures

-ct- ligature: N/A.

-rt- ligature: N/A.

-st- ligature: N/A.

-or-: 49v1. Very commonly used throughout the stint.

9. Method and form of annotation (signes de renvoi?)

N/A.

10. Method of correction and correction mark

N/A.

11. Treatment of numerals

Between dots, sometimes alongside ampersand and items being counted. v instead of u.

12. Proportions and measurements

Codicology

- Pricking.-

- Ruling.-

13. Other idiosyncrasies (preferred spellings, usages, …)

.

What does he write?

William de Moyon (Do) – 49v1-16 [ends quire]

Other relevant information

The first letter of the stint (W) appears to be the work of a different hand, probably the one who entered the initial Gallows mark, before scribe pi copied the two entries on this page. Whereas left arms of Vs are looped, right ones curve slightly inward in the first case and point of contact on the baseline is at the very bottom of the left limb. On the other hand, the instances seen elsewhere (e.g. l. 1 and 2) and the one opening the second entry, the right arms show a neat horizontal approach stroke. The limb curves outwardly and the point of contact is higher than in the previous case and may extend even below the baseline. An instance of hairline finishing strokes is also found (l. 3).

Considering both the form of the Gallows mark and the details of the W, it is possible that this was the work of ‘omicron’ (e.g., alwinus, fo. 31v2).