Ligature (paleography)

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A ligature (also letters composite , medium latin Ligatura "compound" according to lat. Ligari "(VER) connected to") in the Layout means connecting elements of letters and characters. This can result in the formation of further forms with a new character. Depending on the manufacturing requirements, the design of ligatures in written font is subject to different conditions than those in typographical fonts.

When it comes to written alphabetical script , palaeography differentiates between internal and external ligature. Both are a result of the economization of the writing process, which is characterized by the shortening of the distance covered by the writing instrument on the carrier medium (paper, parchment , blackboard, etc.). Accelerated, fluent writing is mainly characterized by prolonged contact between the writing instrument and the writing medium. That is why those movements that otherwise take place partially in the air are also visible as a graphic trace. Because this process usually takes place in the context of a general change in the elements, new shapes emerge which, compared to the original shape, represent a new quality in the sense of “morphological mutations”.

Internal ligature

Example of mutation due to internal ligature
Comparison between built reading script and connected script with internal and external ligatures. Italy 1490

Inner ligature refers to those sections within the letter in which the individual elements are not attached to one another, but rather are fluidly connected in one move (single course) through a rapid movement and merge into a whole through overlapping (top line).

External ligature

An external ligature, on the other hand, is a visible connection between the letters. It is the expression of an unrestrained cross-letter movement drive. External ligatures can support the creation of visually larger units such as syllables or words. They also help to structure them better by regulating the spacing between the letters.

Ligatures in the Latin script

In the Latin script, ligatures are a form-defining component of everyday or utility fonts ( cursive , current or cursive fonts) so that writing speed and fluency can develop or develop. The formation of internal and external ligatures in the Renaissance led to the humanistic cursive , which embodies the origin of the Latin script . This was created as a dynamically accentuated counterpart to the static book font ( humanistic minuscule ). Compared to this reading script, which is constructed or characterized by the combination of individual form elements, the humanistic cursive as cursive differs through the more or less coherent execution of movements made possible by ligatures (inner and outer ligatures). This new cursive script (mainly developed by Niccolò Niccoli in Florence at the beginning of the 15th century ) is not due to a subsequent italicization of the humanistic minuscule. Rather, it was created as an independent written form that had no role models.

Ligatures are not only a prerequisite for the creation of utility fonts. They are also an indispensable condition for the development of the individual character in the handwriting. Ligatures are prone to interference in their design precisely due to the personal shaping characteristics of the writer and can reduce, if not even prevent, the legibility of the written font by deforming the distinguishing features of the characters. This is especially the case when the process of deciphering cannot be supported by the expectation of meaning. A way out is therefore seen is to dispense with ligatures and the spelling of proper names in forms on a letter insulating representation as writing in a so-called document or on the use of capital letters (have capital letters ligatures) to orient.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bernhard Bischoff : Paleography of Roman antiquity and the western Middle Ages . In the series: Basics of German Studies. Erich Schmidt. 3rd edition, Berlin 2004. ISBN 3 503 07914 9 .
  2. ↑ Peter Rück : Ligature and Isolation: Comments on italic writing in the Middle Ages. In: Aspects of writing and writing. Ed. J. Baurmann, K.-B. Günther u. U. Knoop. Olms. Hildesheim, Zurich New York 1988, p. 112.

literature

  • Thomas Frenz: Ligature in the script. In: Lexicon of the entire book industry . 2., completely reworked. u. exp. Edition. Stuttgart: Hiersemann, 1995. Vol. 4, page 544.
  • Erika Urner-Wiesmann: The emergence of italics . In: Zeitschrift für Menschenkunde 39/40 (1975/76) (1976), pp. 173-202.

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