The Byzantine Minuscule Greek Transliterator takes a typed Greek phrase and converts it into a Byzantine Minuscule script.
The tool can handle input text in fully accented polytonic greek.
If you'd prefer, text can instead be input using english characters. The default method for input using english characters uses the following substitutions:
Greek Letter: α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ρ σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω
English Letter: a b g d e z h q i k l m n c o p r s t u f x y w
Diacritics may be added by using these symbols:
) smooth breathing (psili)
( rough breathing (dasia)
/ accute accent (oxia)
\ grave accent (varia)
= circumflex accent (perispomeni)
| iota subscript (hupogegrammeni)
Characters with multiple diacritics should have them in the order listed above.
So ᾗ could be instead written as h(=|
There are a variety of additional options to be toggled.
Scale
Scales the image by the factor given. Allowed values between 0.25 and 3.0.
Respect Spaces
By default, all characters are combined into ligatures when context allows,
regardless of the whitespace included in the input text. If checked,
characters will not be combined into a ligature if whitespace appears between them in the input text.
Leaving this unchecked will render το υδωρ as τȣδωρ, for example. So for some inputs, it could be best to check this to render more control over ligature formation.
Iota Subscript
Iota subscripts were not present in early round minuscules.
There is an option to either omit them when rendering, or interpret them as adscript before rendering.
Disable Optional Ligatures
Ligatures between neighboring characters is often a common feature of Byzantine manuscripts.
This tool focuses on a narrow style, but in reality there exists much variation,
even on a single page of a real manuscript. As such, many ligatures can be toggled on or off.
Broken Style Characters
Some characters have less-idealized forms, leaving stylistic gaps
which may render them more recognizeable to the modern eye.
Ductus Transitions
Ductus refers to the stroke of the pen, specifically the path that it takes as it traces out the letter form.
When the pen transitions from a horizontal stroke on the meanline (for example, following an σ or τ)
and then comes upon a form starting from the topline (for example, κ or η), there are two options.
Either 1) the pen is kept on the paper, curving upwards to the topline before descending again,
or 2) the pen is released from the paper, returns again at the topline, then descends downards.
The former produces a rounded style whereas the latter produces a square effect.
Iota peeks stroked from meanline
When a character ends with a horizontal stroke on the meanline (for example σ or τ) then is followed by a iota,
it is common for the iota to ascend slightly above the meanline before descending again.
Translate from English using Windows Keyboard Mapping
The English text substitution table is based off of the one used at perseus.com,
but this alternate method should be more common to those familiar using a polytonic keyboard.
Greek Letter: α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ρ σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω
English Letter: a b g d e z h u i k l m n j o p r s t u f x c v
Diacritics still use the perseus substitutions listed above.
Export as png This tool works by using html commands to draw out an svg file. This type of file isn't always the easiest to export, so clicking this box replaces the result image with a png file, which should be much easier to copy, paste, or save.