Question

What would Celtic scribes do if they could see that the words they were writing would not go all the way to the margin? A. They would elongate some letters. B. It didn't matter if the letters didn't go all the way to the margin. C. They would use larger spacing with the words.

Answer 1

In order to ensure that their writing would fill the page uniformly, Celtic scribes would elongate certain letters horizontally, adjust the spacing between words and letters, or even split words across lines as needed.

Step-by-step explanation:

Celtic scribes had great skill in organizing and balancing the space on their parchment. When they noticed that the words they were writing would not go all the way to the margin, they had several options.

Most commonly, they would employ a technique known as mashq, which involved elongating certain letters horizontally to balance the widths of lines of different length. This would help to maintain a harmonious visual balance on the page.

Besides this, Celtic scribes would also adjust the spacing between words and letters, and they could even split words between two lines.

These practices served not only to optimize the use of space, but also to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of the written page. In all these endeavors, they aimed to maintain a regularity and precision that reflected their high level of training and skill.

Learn more about Celtic Scribes