Initial facts for kids

An initial or drop cap is a special letter at the start of a word, a chapter, or a paragraph. It's much bigger than the other letters around it. This word comes from the Latin word initialis, which means standing at the beginning.

You often see these large letters in old books or handwritten documents called manuscripts. They can be several lines tall! Sometimes, initials are also used to make long names or titles shorter.

For example, you might see:

• JFK for John F. Kennedy
• FDR for Franklin D. Roosevelt
• AOC for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• TDK for The Dark Knight
• NYC for New York City
• USA for United States of America
• KUWTK for Keeping Up with the Kardashians
• EU for European Union

What is an Initial Letter?

An initial letter is a decorative way to start a new section of text. Imagine opening a fairy tale book and seeing the first letter of the story huge and fancy! That's an initial. They make the page look beautiful and help you know where a new part begins.

History of Initials

Initials have been used for a very long time. In the past, before printing presses, books were copied by hand. Monks and artists would spend hours carefully drawing and coloring these large letters. They often added tiny pictures or designs inside the letters. These are called historiated initials or illuminated initials.

Why Use Initials?

Besides looking nice, initials served a purpose:

• Decoration: They made books more artistic and special.
• Navigation: In old texts without clear headings, a big initial helped readers find the start of a new topic or chapter.
• Emphasis: They drew attention to important parts of the text.

Initials in Modern Times

While you might not see them as often as in ancient manuscripts, initials are still used today. You can find them in:

• Fancy invitations
• Magazine layouts
• Some book designs
• Online articles to give a classic feel

They add a touch of elegance and tradition to written works.

Related Ideas

• Abbreviation: This is a shortened form of a word or phrase, like using "Dr." for "Doctor." Initials are a type of abbreviation when they stand for names or titles.

Images for kids

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  A historiated illuminated initial, which means it has a picture inside.

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  Greek biblical text from Papyrus 46, around 200 AD. Notice there are no big initials, punctuation, or much space between words.

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  A 5th-century Codex Alexandrinus with initials placed in the left margin.

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  "Diminuendo" effect in the first letters after this initial from the Cathach of St. Columba (Irish, 7th century). The letters get smaller and smaller.

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  One of thousands of smaller decorated initials from the famous Book of Kells.

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  In principio (meaning "In the beginning") from the start of the Gospel of John, 9th century.

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  An illuminated Georgian letter "D" from the Mokvi Gospels.

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  A large initial L from a Romanesque Bible.

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  Mainz Psalter, printed in 1457 by Johannes Gutenberg. The main initial and border are made from woodcut. The smaller red initials might also be woodcut. The rest of the letters are metal movable type.

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  An example of Fraktur script, which often features decorative initial letters.

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  Alexander Agricola's music score: "Fortem virili".

See also

In Spanish: Letra capital para niños