Editing Old English literature (section)

=== Paleography and codicology ===
Manuscripts written in both [[Latin]] and the [[vernacular]] remain. It is believed{{By whom|date=January 2022}} that Irish missionaries are responsible for the scripts used in early Anglo-Saxon texts, which include the [[Insular script|Insular]] [[Uncial script#Half-uncial|half-uncial]] (important Latin texts) and Insular minuscule (both Latin and the vernacular). In the 10th century, the [[Caroline minuscule]] was adopted for Latin, however the Insular minuscule continued to be used for Old English texts. Thereafter, it was increasingly influenced by Caroline minuscule, while retaining certain distinctively Insular letter-forms.{{sfn|Baker|2003|p=153}}

Early English manuscripts often contain later annotations in the margins of the texts; it is a rarity to find a completely unannotated manuscript.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Renswoude |first1=Irene van |url=https://www.academia.edu/35861727 |title=The Annotated Book in the Early Middle Ages Practices of Reading and Writing |last2=Teeuwen |first2=Mariken}}</ref> These include corrections, alterations and expansions of the main text, as well as commentary upon it, and even unrelated texts.{{sfn|Teeuwen|2016|p=221}}{{sfn|Powell|2009|p=151}}  The majority of these annotations appear to date to the 13th century and later.{{sfn|Parkes|2007|p=19}}