drop capitals ☜☞ iniciales bajas


Some printers designed their page so that in some sueltas, the first oversized character of the first word dropped into the second line, making what is called a “drop capital” or “dropped capital.” Drop capitals have a very long history—indeed, they predate the invention of printing—but they seem not to have been used in the printing of sueltas until after 1700; thus, a suelta that begins with a drop capital (almost always a two-line one) is likely to date from after 1700.

In the first example, the first word of the text proper (Diste) has a dropped capital D. Since the D occupies part of the first and second lines, it is a two-line dropped capital (D2 in bibliographical description). In the second example, the first word of the first stage direction has another two-line dropped capital. This particular suelta dates from around 1700 (Madrid).   [DWC]

see also: raised capitals
  • The drop capital appears in the text of the play.

    No siempre lo peor es cierto

drop capitals
drop capitals
drop capitals
drop capitals