First use of capital letters

1. When did we start using capital letters?
2. Who first used capital letters?
3. Why did we invent capital letters?
4. Which came first capital letters or lowercase?

When did we start using capital letters?

We started using these terms in the 1700s. Hard to believe, but there were no set of rules for capitalization in English until this period either.

Who first used capital letters?

Capital letters in Modern English derive from an Old Roman script used in the a.d. 200s. In those days, all caps was all there was! Lowercase letters hadn't been invented yet, so capital letters were used for everything.

Why did we invent capital letters?

We have capital letters, because the original Greek alphabet was all capitals. Lower case letters were developed later, because it was easier to use with a pen, and more readable. Capital letters are good for emphasis, say in titles. They are also a great help to know when a new sentence starts.

Which came first capital letters or lowercase?

Historians believe that majuscule or uppercase letters came first. The first alphabets were written entirely in large majuscule letters, evenly spaced between well-defined upper and lower bounds. Over time, however, it was only natural that smaller versions of each letter would develop.