Editiones Arnamagnæanæ. Series A - 01.06.2003, Page 57
THE S RECENSION
19*
Final (n) is occasionally made with a (j)-like second minim. (n),
which may be marked by a macron or dot, is common in Hand B. The
(H>-like (n> is found in ligatures, (aN>, (Ön>, (gN>, (kN>, occurring al-
most always at line-ends, e.g. 5va39, 5vbl6, 22vb3, 23ra24, 26vb2,
49va8, 51va42, 81va21; and space is saved at the end of 16val3 by a
ligatured (i) and (n>.
The letter (q> is used only in Latin words.
Hand A writes (r> with a long shaft but very rarely (e.g. 2vb41,
23vb29). (r> is regular after (d>, (ð> and (o) and almost always after
(b) and (þ>; Hand B may also write it after (g). It is (2>-shaped, rarely
with a tail below the line (e.g. 23vb44, 37rbl5). (r> is found in all po-
sitions in Hand A but more or less restricted to final positions in Hand
B. In Hand B the oblique down stroke in (r> is so stunted that the let-
ter often looks more like (p>.
(í> always sits on the line. The stave of a following (t> is heightened
to form an (ft> ligature. The bottom curl of round (s> is seldom closed
in Hand A, more often in Hand B.
(v> is made with a pronounced leftward slant, with the top some-
times virtually closed.
(x> is a crossed diagonal type, with the right-hand stroke continued
at the juncture in a fine hairstroke that goes below the line; the letter
sometimes has a brief bar through the middle.
(y> is an elegant variety of (y5>, made as (v> with a light stroke de-
scending in a shallow curve to the left which is then occasionally fin-
ished by a brief curl to the right.
(z> is made with a brief bar through the diagonal.
(æ> is made like a ligature of (o> and (;>; the understroke in the at-
tached element is vestigial in Hand B.
In Hand A (þ) is only distinguished from (p> by the height of the
stave. In Hand B a hairstroke left of the stave and linking its top and
bottom is comparatively frequent.
2. Latin quotations. There are numerous pieces of Latin quotation,
chiefly biblical and liturgical: see S 8/56-58, 9/4-5, 9, 20/7-10; further
in Hand A 7val5, 19vb36, 20vb21, 26-28, 22ra28-30, 28rbl5, 39ral2-
14, 41val6-21, 42vb28-35; in Hand B 68val5-16, 69vb22-23, 39,
70rb37-38, 71vb34-36, 73ra2-4. At 19vb9-10 an attempt was perhaps
made at some Greek letter-forms, with ‘aggian sophian’ written small
above them (cf. Hms. I, 121, n. 1). Except in 42vb28-35 the script in