06-04-2020, 10:06 AM
Thanks for your comment. I've never seen anything like this "atto" thing and I was curious about the source. It could be a combination of different elements that happen to be juxtaposed or something in a source you've looked at?
Yes, Greek abbreviations do tend to stack more than Latin ones, but the preference is for ligatures and special macron-like elements, especially for common word endings. Some of the forms you cite are less common and tend to be used more in paratext settings, like titles, subscriptions, and marginal notes. Also, a lot of the stacked abbreviations in minuscule manuscripts use an older form of the script called majuscule or uncial, which gives a feel very different from the VM. A good list of what you'll commonly see in Greek MSS is found in this chart:
![[Image: Liga1.JPG]](http://www.biblical-data.org/Liga1.JPG)
I realize it is a subjective feeling, but nothing in the VM script has really jumped out to me as Greek, not even the gallows. On the other hand, a lot of the VM looks conformably at home with Latin (even humanist) hands to my eye.
Yes, Greek abbreviations do tend to stack more than Latin ones, but the preference is for ligatures and special macron-like elements, especially for common word endings. Some of the forms you cite are less common and tend to be used more in paratext settings, like titles, subscriptions, and marginal notes. Also, a lot of the stacked abbreviations in minuscule manuscripts use an older form of the script called majuscule or uncial, which gives a feel very different from the VM. A good list of what you'll commonly see in Greek MSS is found in this chart:
I realize it is a subjective feeling, but nothing in the VM script has really jumped out to me as Greek, not even the gallows. On the other hand, a lot of the VM looks conformably at home with Latin (even humanist) hands to my eye.