During Roman times, there were many variations on the letter "A". First was the monumental or lapidary style, which was used when inscribing on stone or other "permanent" mediums. For perishable surfaces, what was used for everyday or utilitarian purposes, a cursive style was used. Due to the "perishable" nature of the surfaces, these examples are not as prevalent as the monumental. This perishable style was called cursive and numerous variations have survived, such as majuscule cursive, minuscule cursive, semicursive minuscule. There were also variants that were intermediate between the monumental and the cursive. The known variants include the early semi-uncial, the uncial, and the later semi-uncial.[4]

At the termination of the Roman Empire (5th century AD), several variants of the cursive minuscule appeared through Western Europe. Among these were the semicursive minuscule of Italy, the Merovingian script in France, the Visigothic script in Spain, and the Insular or Anglo-Irish semi-uncial or Anglo-Saxon majuscule, of Great Britain. By the 9th century, the Caroline script, which was very similar to the present-day form, was the principal form used in book-making, before the advent of the printing press. This form was derived through a combining of prior forms.[4]

15th-century Italy saw the formation of the two variants that are known today. These variants, the Italics and Roman forms, were derived from the Caroline Script version. The Italics form used in most current handwriting consists of a circle and vertical stroke ("ɑ"), called Latin alpha or "script a". This slowly developed from the fifth-century form resembling the Greek letter tau in the hands of dark-age Irish and English writers.[2] Most printed material uses the Roman form consisting of a small loop with an arc over it ("a").[4] Both derive from the majuscule (capital) form. In Greek