The word minimum, or ones very like it, is why we have dots over i's. In Gothic script it's a sequence of fifteen effectively identical strokes.

In Italian cursive writing, the m's are often written as w's and the n's are often written as u's. (They make the round part into a point.) So you need to have some inkling of the word you're reading. Gets confusing when there are i's and t's nearby, like in my dad's name, Antonio. It looks like Autouio. Weird, eh?