What letter is this

[u/Kindly_Dentist_1691]

Hi, could anyone help me recognise this letter? I marked a few of its appearances in the text with a purple arrow. The text isn't mine, it's just an example

I've been writing ך in a similar way for the past few months, but now I think it may be ק, and I'll need to change it:/

[u/MackaRhoni]

That’s amazing cursive

[u/Function_Unknown_Yet]

Its a kuf - ק - in the old style (a la turn of the century European yiddish style). However, especially in old Yiddish handwritten letters, chaf sofit ך is often written the same way, so you're correct, there is crossover.

[u/Kindly_Dentist_1691 → u/Function_Unknown_Yet]

Thank you so much for confirming my suspicions haha:)

[u/dyvow → u/Function_Unknown_Yet]

Oh wow i had no idea yiddish writing looked like that thanks

[u/DebbieFrances]

Gorgeous handwriting.

[u/Neighbuor07]

Old Yiddish cursive writing is so elegant.

[u/SpikeZiv → u/Neighbuor07]

But this is actually Hebrew. I can understand the contents

[u/whybe2517]

that's just amazing handwriting. it is indeed as pointed out, the letter ק. I'd say this person was native israeli, perhaps oleh hadash from European descent. the style of hebrew and the syntax suggest early to mid 20th century. the subject matter suggests this was someone living in a rural / agrarian setting (describing village life) and is a preface from a book describing the village.

[u/Dimos1901]

Hebrew

[u/lhommeduweed]

That's how I write my kofs, it's more common in Yiddish, afaik.

Judging by the use of the long, barless "F" the ſ in "ſalestine" I would date it to no later than mid-19th century, certainly no later than 1900. People barred their Fs uniformly by that point.

[u/tesilab → u/lhommeduweed]

That's a P

[u/Mnementh47]

It's a regular ק I've seen many write it like that.. pretty common 😊

[u/tesilab]

Ok, its obviously a kuf. A normal run of the mill cursive kuf.
This is gorgeous, though slightly idiosyncratic handwriting. I often complain people don't make the loop on shin high enough, this massively exaggerates. I'm personally not as familiar with this type of mem sofi -- so clearly I'm ignorant on the subject. I am gratified that the the gimmel is absolutely spot on (see the word מושג for example), and that the daled and the tzadi are so clearly distinct. I'd use this a model of cursive any day.

[u/itailu]

ק

[u/Larsette]

I would've never guessed!

[u/Pale_Clothe]

אני אוהב את כתב היד הזה. הלוואי עליי.

[u/MarcosVoynich]

Indi ou Gujarat

[u/SpikeZiv]

Just beautiful.

[u/Aggressive-Fee-6817]

It looks a lot like Martin Buber's hebrew handwriting to me

[u/caliwelder27]

Language of the beast

[u/Lsdnyc → u/caliwelder27]

Go away