WHY SHOUT WHEN YOU CAN WRITE? THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF LOWERCASE LETTERS

How Medieval Monks and a Cost-Saving Emperor Changed the Way We Write Forever

THE MYSTERY OF LOWERCASE LETTERS

Ever wondered why we juggle uppercase and lowercase letters? Wouldn’t life be simpler if we just stuck to capitals? Ancient civilizations did exactly that. The Romans, Greeks, and even the Phoenicians wrote exclusively in capital letters. Yet today, uppercase is reserved for emphasis, while lowercase dominates everyday writing. What changed? Enter a practical emperor, a group of efficiency-seeking monks, and a costly material that forced an unexpected revolution in the written word.

CARVING IN STONE: THE ERA OF CAPITALS

The earliest alphabets had no room for lowercase letters. Writing was laborious, often carved into stone or wood. Large, uniform letters made inscriptions clear and legible. Capital letters reigned supreme across the ancient world. The Greeks, Romans, and early scribes saw no need for a second set of symbols.

However, as civilizations evolved, so did the demands of writing. Scrolls and manuscripts replaced stone tablets. Writing tools diversified. The all-caps system, while legible, was inefficient for…