| 释义 |
majuscule, a. and n.|məˈdʒʌskjuːl|
[a. F. majuscule, ad. L. mājuscula (sc. littera), fem. of mājusculus somewhat larger, dim. of mājor (neut. mājus): see major a.]
A. adj.
†a. Printing. Of a letter: Capital. Obs.
b. Palæogr. Of a letter: Large (whether capital or uncial). Also, written in majuscules.
1727–41Chambers Cycl. s.v. Letter, Printers distinguish their letters into capital, majuscule, initial or upper-case letters..and minuscule, small, or under-case letters. 1850Madden tr. Silvestre's Univ. Palæogr. I. 140 To the first class [inscriptions] belong the capital or square majuscule characters; to the second [books], the uncial characters (which are majuscules intermixed with rounded letters); and to the third [documents], the conjoined, cursive writing. 1885E. M. Thompson in Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 145 In Latin majuscule writing there exist both capitals and uncials. 1892― Gr. & Lat. Palæogr. xiv. 196 Early majuscule MSS.
B. n.
†a. Printing. A large or capital letter. Obs.
b. Palæogr. A large letter, whether capital or uncial.
1825W. Hamilton Dict. Terms Arts & Sci., Majuscules, in Printing, large letters, sometimes ornamented, usually placed at the beginning of chapters. 1850[see A above]. 1851Sir F. Palgrave Norm. & Eng. I. 433 A few firm majuscules inscribed by Roman Power. 1892E. M. Thompson Gr. & Lat. Palæogr. viii. 117 In both Greek and Latin palæography, large letters are called ‘majuscules’; small letters, ‘minuscules’. |