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Glossary
Glossary of terms used in the comparison and identification of handwriting This glossary may serve as an aid to understanding technical papers and reprints for handwriting experts whose first language is not English. The glossary has been constructed using the most frequently used terms; it is not intended to be exhaustive and suggestions are welcome for other words and terms that may have been left out. If anyone disagrees with the definitions put forward, feel free to offer alternatives. Some of the terms (ampersand, diacritic, holograph, rubric, palimpsest) are not used in everyday language but they have been included as they turn up from time to time in published work.
abnormal letter design
A letter design which falls outside the normal range of variation for a writer and may be introduced as a disguise
accidental
A feature within a handwriting which fall outside the normal range of variation of a writer and is not intentional
alignment
The positioning of the handwriting with respect to any printed lines
alphabet
The list of letters in a language
ampersand
The character representing the word ‘and’ (&)
angular handwriting
Handwriting which is characterised by sharp points and lacking roundness
arch
A rounded upper portion of a letter design arrangement The positioning of handwriting on the page
assisted signature
A signature made by a writer whose hand is supported by another person during the act of writing (Another term for guided hand signature)
authentic
Not forged
authenticity
Genuineness
author
The writer of a piece of handwriting
ballpen
A writing instrument containing viscous ink, housed in a refill, which is transferred to the page via a rotating ball ball housing The end of a ballpen which supports and retains the ball
block capitals
A writing style in which all of the letter designs are capital letters
blunt ending
The ending of a letter design where ink has accumulated as a result of a hesitation
bubble writing
A term used to describe the overly-rounded handwriting of adolescent girls (USA)
burr striations
Striation marks visible in ballpen ink lines and produced by burrs or other extraneous material on the ball housing which prevent the ink in the refill from contacting the ball surface
capital letter
ALL OF THE LETTERS IN THIS SENTENCE ARE CAPITALS
carbon copies
Copies which are produced by incorporating an intermediate sheet of carbon paper directly below the page written upon and in contact with the page used to transfer the carbon image of the handwriting
carbon paper
A thin sheet of paper impregnated on one side with carbon or a waxy dye
characteristic
A feature within a letter design or handwriting
class characteristic
A feature within a particular handwriting style
collected specimens
Handwriting specimens (not written for the purposes of an investigation) obtained from personal papers, diaries, bank accounts,driving licence applications and other sources
conclusive opinion
A strong opinion that is not qualified. For instance In my opinion, Rolf Berzel is the writer
connecting strokes
Handwritten strokes that join letters together
contemporaneous specimen
Specimen handwriting made around the time as the disputed handwriting
control of pen
The ability to move and manipulate the writing instrument
copy
A reproduction of a handwriting or signature
copybook
A writing book of letters printed for imitation and used in schools as a teaching aid
course-of-business specimens
Another term for collected specimens
crowding
The effect of placing handwriting in a confined space
cursive
A style of writing which is flowing and the letters are joined by connecting strokes
curvature
The roundness of a letter design
decipher
To read or interpret difficult handwriting
deviation
A differing from a standard form
diacritic
A mark (accents, cedillas, i dots etc) attached to letters
difference
A dissimilarity
disconnected script
A style of writing in which the letter designs are representations of printed letters and is characterised by the absence of connecting strokes
disguise
To change the appearance of handwriting
disputed handwriting
Handwriting which is called into question
distinctive
Marking or expressing difference; characteristic
distinctive feature
A feature which is considered unusual or unique
evidential value
The strength or weight of evidence
exemplar
An example; a type
expert
A specialist; a scientific or professional witness
extraneous
External; foreign
eyelet
A small loop in a letter design
felt tip/fibre tip pen
A writing instument in which the ink is impregnated into a fibrous wick one end of which forms the writing point
flourish
A figure made by a bold stroke of the pen; to make ornamental strokes with the pen
fluency
The quality of being fluent
fluent
Smooth, easy, graceful
forger
Someone who forges (counterfeits for the purposes of fraud)
forgery
Something that is forged or counterfeited
fountain pen
A writing instrument in which liquid ink is held in a reservoir
freehand forgery
A forgery, usually a signature, which has been written either from memory or by copying (but not by tracing)
gap
A small space
genuine
Authentic (not forged)
graphic
Pertaining to writing
graphology
The art (some would say ‘Black Art’) of estimating character from handwriting
guided hand signature
A signature made by a writer whose hand is supported by another person during the act of writing. Another term for assisted signature.
guideline
A line drawn to act as a guide
handwriting expert
A specialist in the comparison and identification of handwriting
hesitation
A slowing-down or stopping of during the act of writing
holograph
A document wholly written by the person from whom it proceeds
illegible handwriting
Handwriting which cannot be read
illiterate
Unable to read and write
indented writing
The impressions of writing produced on an underlying page by the pressure of the writing instument during the act of writing
individual
Single; separate
initial letter
The letter beginning a word
initial
To put the initials of ones name to
initials
The initial letters of a name
initial stroke
The first stroke of a letter design
ink line
The mark produced when ink is transferred to paper from a writing instrument
impressed writing
Another term for indented writing
layout
The position and placing of handwriting on the page
legible
Capable of being read
letter design
The structure and form of a handwritten letter
letter formation
Another term for letter design
letter spacing
The distance between handwritten letters
line habit
Another term for alignment
line quality
A term which describes the appearance of the written line in relation to its smoothness. A writing which displays good line quality is fluently written with few hesitations.
line spacing
The distance between lines of handwriting
loop
A curve in the written line which crosses back over itself
lower case
A printing term which describes the small letters in a print style
margin
The edge (sometimes blank) on a page of a book
margin habit
The positioning of handwriting in relation to the margin on a page
microscope
An instrument for magnifying objects
misspelling
The incorrect spelling of a word
natural handwriting
Handwriting which is not disguised
natural variation
The variation of letter designs which occurs in natural handwriting
NCR copies
Copy documents which are produced without the use of carbon paper (NCR stands for No Carbon Required)
non-request specimens
Another term for collected specimens and course-of-business specimens
numeral
A figure or mark used to express a number (1, 2, I, VI)
obliterate
To blot out, to make unreadable
opposite hand
The hand not normally used by a writer. Another term for unaccustomed hand.
palimpsest
A manuscript in which old writing has been rubbed out to make room for new
pen
A writing instrument which contains ink
pen pressure
The force with which the pen indents the page during the act of writing
pencil
A writing instrument which usually deposits graphite on the page
penlift
A separation of the handwritten line which occurs when the pen is lifted from the page
penmanship
A term which describes the ability of a person to write
personal characteristic
A feature pertaining to an person’s writing habits and not derived from a learned copybook style
photocopy
A copy of a document, usually produced by an electrostatic process
photocopied handwriting
An image of handwriting which has been produced by a photocopy process
pictorial similarity
A feature which looks similar to another one on casual inspection but may differ when examined more closely
porous-point pen
Another term for fibre tip pen and felt tip
pen proportion
The relationship of one thing to another in magnitude
punctuation
The act of dividing sentences by points or marks; for example, a semi-colon, a comma or a full stop.
qualified opinion
An opinion that is not entirely conclusive
questioned handwriting
Another term for disputed writing
range of variation
The extent of the variation of the letter designs found within a handwriting
ratio
A similar term for proportion
relationship
The state or mode of being related
relative height
The height of a character when considered in relation to another
relative width
The width of a character when considered in relation to another
request specimens
Specimens of handwriting that are specifically taken for the purposes of an investigation
retrace
A stroke formed by moving the writing instrument back over a preceeding stroke during the act of writing
retouching
An adding of extra strokes or touches to a letter design
rollerball
A writing instument containing fluid ink which is transferred to the paper via a rotating ball
rubric
A fluorish after a signature; a handwritten entry originally one in red
sample handwriting
Another term for specimen handwriting
scribble
To write badly, carelessly or worthlessly
significant difference
A difference which has significant evidential value
significant similarity
A similarity which has significant evidential value similar Corresponding in shape
similarity
A feature of a handwriting which corresponds to another
simulated forgery
A forgery, usually a signature, which resembles a genuine signature and has been written freehand
simulation
A copy
slant
Another term for slope
slope
An incline
slurred handwriting
A handwriting that is devoid of structure and is indistinct
spacing
The distance between, for example, letter designs or words
specimen handwriting
Handwriting used for comparison purposes with disputed handwriting
straightedge
An instrument, usually a ruler, used by some writers to give handwriting a regular appearance on the page
stroke
A touch of pen, pecil, brush
structure
The manner of putting together; formation
style characteristics
Handwriting characteristics learned from copybooks
terminal stroke
The handwritten stroke at the end of a word
testator
Someone who leaves a will
traced forgery
A forgery, usually a signature, produced by a tracing method
tracing
A traced forgery
tremor
A shakiness or quivering observed within a writing line
trough
A rounded, low point in a letter design
unaccustomed hand
Another term for opposite hand
unfamiliar script
A handwritten script in a different language to that of the reader
unique feature
A feature of a person’s writing which is very significant and would not occur in the handwritings of other people
upper case
A printing term which describes the large (or capital) letters in a print style
variation
A departure from the usual word spacing The distance between words in a handwritten text
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| Annual Fire and Explosion Investigation working group meeting |
| 2010-09-15 |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
| ENFSI Fingerprint Working Group |
| 2010-09-22 |
Delft, The Netherlands |
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