Blackletter
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- usrper
What's the origin of the term?
- usrper0
it doens't seem to explain why its called blackletter though, or am i ADD
- madirish0
you are correct i think
- usrper0
ive been telling people that its because theres alot of black and they think im retarded.
- GreedoLives0
This is just guesswork, but wouldn't it refer to the weight of it? Blackletter scripts are all very heavy (black being the heaviest weight, ultra seems like a later invention) as opposed to finer scripts at the time.
- Witt0
The English term "Black-letter" (afaik) is related to the first gothic translation of the Bible into a germanic language by John Wyclffe (14th century), a pre-reformist. I worked on a paper for Medieval History class about this subject (gothic writing). I need to look for details in the attic but as far as I remember the origin of "black-letter" refers to the first English translation of the Bible (King James Bible) applied to gothic writing and there are many references as to what "black" may have meant, since "black-letter" is a coined 17th word. I'll search my old files for a better explanation. Anyway, in North of Europe translations of the Latin Bible into local languages were popularly known as the "black-letter Wycleff" book, and hence the popular relation to gothic script.
- Witt0
^ I made a mistake up there: Wycliffe translated the bible into English based on the first translation into a germanic language by bishop Ulfilas (little-wolf):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulf…
- Witt0
ok I searched my old stuff. Existing references cannot explain why the adjective "black" was applied to a form of writing, since most of known forms of writing was compact and done in black). However, most scholars agree that "black" may have had a pejorative sense as a lower form of writing. Technically, the gothic language and writing was developed in Eastern Europe (= Checz Republic) and Iberia by the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths, which adopted the Roman Church but used the uncial (French script) to relate to the people. White/Black = higher and lower forms of Latin may explain why "black" was coined (in England) to refer the gothic script. The association between gothic and blackness still prevails today - and it's mostly from Roman origin meaning a darker, barbaric way.
(this is all I know).
- a friend of mine -who teaches literatue- is usually called "Gótica" by her pupils. She usually dresses black.Witt
- Witt0
In a word, the original meaning of the English "blackletter" may refer the widespread usage of a "lower" form of writing as opposed to the more enlightened form of writing, which was Latin (Roman typeface).
as a sidenote, galician-portuguese (from which many spanish and portuguese words evolved) was called "black-latin" or lower-Latin. In Medieval Europe, the word "black" was an adjective for everything that was not right.
- Witt0
Truth sucks doesn't it?
- Roshambo0
You are the man, Witt.
- usrper0
wow, witt, thanks for all that. Although that explanation makes mine look totally dumb. hah.