I'm pretty sure lowercase letters originated with the creation of the Carolingian miniscule script[1]. I had heard/read that it was created as a unification of

I'm pretty sure lowercase letters originated with the creation of the Carolingian miniscule script[1]. I had heard/read that it was created as a unification of handwriting under the Carolingian empire, but that may be untrue[2]: “The use of the new script makes an experimental impression,” says the Latin scholar. “They were trying it out. In the Middle Ages a script like this was not just invented, as is the case today. It was developed as part of the living tradition of a scriptorium. In the 8th century Corbie was something akin to a laboratory for new scripts.” This is another point that militates against the idea propounded by many popular history books that in the framework of his cultural and educational policies Charlemagne more or less commissioned the devising of the minuscule with a view to creating a uniform, readily legible script. Prior to that, people wrote in uncial and half-uncial. The distinction between majuscule and miniscule letters wasn't there yet, but already then, they were enlarging and decorating letters at the beginning of the sentence back then. See this image on Wikipedia for an example[3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncial_script#/media/File%3AKellsFol309r.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncial_script#/media/File%3AKe... [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_minuscule https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_minuscule [2]: https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/presse/news2013/pm20130109_minuskel_en.html https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/presse/news2013/pm20130109_min... [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncial_script#/media/File%3AKellsFol309r.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncial_script#/media/File%3AKe...