| 释义 |
minuscule, a. and n.|ˈmɪnəskjuːl, mɪˈnʌskjuːl, ˈmɪn(j)əskjuːl|
[a. F. minuscule, ad. L. minuscula (sc. littera), fem. of minusculus rather less, dim. of minor (neut. minus): see minor a. and minus a.]
A. adj.
1.
†a. Printing. Of a letter: Small, not capital, ‘lower-case’. Obs.
b. Palæogr. Of a letter: Small (see B. b). Also, written in minuscules.
1727–41[see majuscule a.]. 1850A. Way in Archæol. Jrnl. VII. 356 A little mark at the close of the first line, resembling a minuscule C is somewhat indistinct. 1883I. Taylor Alphabet I. 71 The letters of the beautiful minuscule manuscripts of the 10th and 11th centuries. These minuscule letters are cursive forms of the earlier uncials. 1900Expositor Mar. 175 Annotations are found in the minuscule codices.
2. gen. Extremely small. Also, unimportant.
See also miniscule.
1893Nation (N.Y.) 20 July 51/1 The theories that are put forth by minuscule scholars as personal contributions to the advance of science. 1898Edin. Rev. Apr. 420 Only think of the minuscule touches of advance that Ictinus added to his predecessors' designs. 1904Nutt's Catal. Sept. p. ix, Sir Gawain at the Grail Castle. Three Versions, translated..by Jessie L. Weston. Minuscule 4to. 1963Ann. Reg. 1962 17 Such minuscule militants as the boot and floor polish manufacturers. 1969Listener 30 Jan. 155/3 One is impressed inevitably by the intensity and concentration of human effort on a project whose rewards, however satisfying, are bound to be minuscule. 1972Time 17 Apr. 24/1 The Gallup organization, in all of its national soundings, has shown McGovern running between a minuscule 3% and 6% when pitted against his rivals for the nomination.
B. n.
†a. Printing. A small or ‘lower-case’ letter as opposed to a capital. Obs.
b. Palæogr. A small letter, as opposed to a capital or uncial; the small cursive script which was developed from the uncial during the 7th–9th centuries; also, a manuscript in this writing.
1705H. Wanley in Phil. Trans. XXV. 1996 Some MSS. written with Minuscules. [1727–41Chambers Cycl., Minusculæ, in printing, denotes the small, or running letters.] 1782Burney Hist. Mus. II. 32 A notation for three octaves, the gravest of which he expressed by capitals, the mean by minuscules, and the highest by double letters. 1851Sir F. Palgrave Norm. & Eng. I. 228 The initial difference of a minuscule or a capital. a1876Eadie Comm. Thess. (1877) 23 A few minuscules read αὐτοὺς ἡµᾶς. 1883I. Taylor Alphabet II. 160 The minuscule arose in the 7th century as a cursive monastic script. |