Good idea for a thread.
My feeling is that the "a" shape is so variable in the VMS I'm really reluctant to call it "a". I'm even more uncomfortable calling the last shape "n" since it might be a minim with a tail or a v-shape (just the shape) or a couple of other possibilities (some of the VMS "n" shapes look like medieval loopless "d").
I need to get it finished, but I have a mostly written blog about loop-m— the style of "m" (with the rounded approach stroke) that the "michiton" interpretation is based upon. I have lots of examples from manuscripts so that we can all look at them and compare to how it is written in the VMS.
But... to get to your point... it's my feeling that we have to be careful to not assume it's an "a" shape, and the "michiton" example you mentioned is one of the reasons why. If it's a looped approach stroke (a leading serif), then there's no reason to equate it with "a" (except perhaps in the cipher sense) and there is also the possibility that it might be "c" + "i". And... since daiin has varying numbers of minims, some of them might even be the "c" + "u" shape (I have a feeling that daiin might be more varied than is reflected in transcripts).
My feeling is that the "a" shape is so variable in the VMS I'm really reluctant to call it "a". I'm even more uncomfortable calling the last shape "n" since it might be a minim with a tail or a v-shape (just the shape) or a couple of other possibilities (some of the VMS "n" shapes look like medieval loopless "d").
I need to get it finished, but I have a mostly written blog about loop-m— the style of "m" (with the rounded approach stroke) that the "michiton" interpretation is based upon. I have lots of examples from manuscripts so that we can all look at them and compare to how it is written in the VMS.
But... to get to your point... it's my feeling that we have to be careful to not assume it's an "a" shape, and the "michiton" example you mentioned is one of the reasons why. If it's a looped approach stroke (a leading serif), then there's no reason to equate it with "a" (except perhaps in the cipher sense) and there is also the possibility that it might be "c" + "i". And... since daiin has varying numbers of minims, some of them might even be the "c" + "u" shape (I have a feeling that daiin might be more varied than is reflected in transcripts).