Glossary
Ampersand- the "et" ligature
Ascender- in minuscule script, the part of a letter that extends above the headline, as in "b" and "l"
Baseline- the writing line
Calligraphic script- a script with constructed letters, adopting a complicated ductus with numerous pen lifts
Cursive script- a script intended for rapid and fluent writing, which therefore involves a simplified ductus and a reduction in the number of pen lifts
Descender- in minuscule script, the part of a letter that extends below the baseline, as in "p" and "q"
Downstroke- a stroke made with a downward movement of the pen
Ductus- the number of strokes used for the writing of a single letter or graph, their order and direction
Fusion- a coalescence of two successive letters, which end and begin with contrary curves
Hairline- a thin line, often obtained by using the corner of the nib instead of its full width
Initial position- the beginning of a word
Ligature- the linking of two or more letters into one graph, in which the original letter forms have been altered
Majuscule script- a script written between two (imaginary) lines, in which the letters are of equal height
Minuscule script- script written on four (imaginary) lines, comprising short letters (a, c, i, x), and letters with ascenders and descenders
Serif- a small decorative stroke added to the extremities of a letter
Upstroke- a stroke made with an upward movement of the pen