uncial

English

Etymology 1

Attested 1650, from Latin uncia (“a twelfth part, ounce, inch”).

Adjective

uncial (comparative more uncial, superlative most uncial)

1. (rare) Of or relating to an ounce, or an inch, especially to letters printed an inch high.

Etymology 2

Attested 1712, from Late Latin unciales (“uncials”), unciales litterae (“uncial letters”) (Jerome), plural of uncialis (“pertaining to one twelfth part, ounce, or inch”), from uncia (“one twelfth part, ounce, inch”). The literal meaning is unclear: some references indicate "inch-high letters", but see “Uncial script” in Wikipedia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʌn.si.əl/, /ˈʌn.ʃi.əl/, /ˈʌn.ʃəl/

Adjective

uncial (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to a majuscule style of writing with unjoined, rounded letters, originally used in the 4th–9th centuries.
   • 1887, H. Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure‎^[1]:

     This, also written in black letter, we found inscribed on a second parchment that was in the coffer, apparently somewhat older in date than that on which was inscribed the mediæval Latin translation of the uncial Greek of which I shall speak presently.

Translations

of or related to uncial

• Finnish: unsiaalinen

Noun

uncial (plural uncials)

1. A style of writing using uncial letters.
2. A letter in this style.
3. A manuscript in this style.

Translations

style

• Finnish: unsiaali

letter

• Finnish: unsiaali

manuscript

• Finnish: unsiaali

Derived terms

• semi-uncial, half-uncial

Related terms

• uncia
• ounce
• inch

Anagrams

• Alcuin, Lucian, Lucina

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Spanish

Adjective

uncial (plural unciales)

1. uncial

Noun

uncial f (plural unciales)

1. uncial