| 释义 |
▪ I. ˈversal, n. (and a.1)
[f. L. vers-, ppl. stem of vertĕre to turn (cf. reversal), associated with verse n.]
†1. = versification 3. Obs. rare.
1657Bampfield in Burton's Diary (1828) II. 222 Such..as they shall think fit to advise with, concerning the best versal of the Psalms. Ibid., The amendment of Mr. Sternhold and Mr. Hopkins's Versal of the Psalms.
2. A special style of ornate capital letter used at the beginning of a verse or paragraph, etc., esp. in an illuminated manuscript; in modern calligraphy applied to capitals built up by inking between pen strokes and having serifs in the form of long, thin, straight lines. Freq. attrib. as adj.
1895E. F. Strange Alphabets ix. 257 (caption) Versal letters. Ibid. 258 The versal is [a letter]..at the beginning of a chapter or section thereof. 1906E. Johnston Writing & Illuminating vii. 114 The earlier Versals had very simple and beautiful pen shapes... After the fourteenth century they were often..overdone with ornament. Ibid. xii. 205 In twelfth-century MSS. long delicate flourishes are commonly found, in red, blue, or green—matching the colours of the Versals. 1912A. W. Pollard Fine Books vi. 84 The small red letters at the beginning of each verse of a psalm, sometimes called versals. 1979T. Gourdie Calligraphic Styles 53 Versal Capitals are a pen-built form of the ‘Trajan Roman’ and are normally used to begin verses and chapters but may also be used to make impressive panels of lettering. 1981D. Mahoney Craft of Calligraphy 90 A versal letter is built up with a definite number of pen strokes. Ibid. 93 The stem width is the same in Versals of varying height.
▪ II. versal, a.2 ? Obs.|ˈvɜːsəl|
Also 8 'versal.
[Illiterate or colloq. abbrev. of universal a. Cf. the later varsal a.]
1. Universal; whole. Usu. coupled with world.
1592Shakes. Rom. & Jul. ii. iv. 219 Shee lookes as pale as any clout in the versall world. 1664Butler Hud. ii. iii. 930 Some, for brevity, Have cast the Versal World's Nativity. 1777Sheridan Trip to Scarborough iv. i, That which they call pin-money, is to buy everything in the 'versal world.
2. Single; individual.
1709Mrs. Manley Secret Mem. I. 151 She..had provided no versal Thing for the Child. 1717Susanna Wesley in Southey Wesley (1820) I. 444 We are secluded from sight, or hearing, of any versal thing except Jeffrey. |