In praise of the letter S

Dijon, Bibliotheque municipale, 169 (dated to 1111 AD). The decorated 'S' opens the word 'servata', which is itself also decorated.

The letter S is a graphic stunt. Having grown out of the w/tooth-looking Proto-Sinaitic Shin letter, it stood up on its Greek-Σ feet - littera erecta - before shedding its angles for more alluring curves.

Both the letter S an…