rick55 Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Menu Dictionary.com Thesaurus.com Everything After Z Dictionary.com Word of the Day Translate Games Thesaurus.com Everything After Z Everything After Z by Dictionary.com Word Facts Quizzes Trends Grammar Quotes Video more Hobbies & Passions History In the News Literature & Arts Science & Technology Current Events Symbols and Punctuation Crossword Solver Search for: Search What Character Was Removed from the Alphabet? Johnson & Johnson, Barnes & Noble, Dolce & Gabbana: the ampersand today is used primarily in business names, but that small character was once the 27th part of the alphabet. Where did it come from though? The origin of its name is almost as bizarre as the name itself. The shape of the character (&) predates the word ampersand by more than 1,500 years. In the first century, Roman scribes wrote in cursive, so when they wrote the Latin word et which means “and” they linked the e and t. Over time the combined letters came to signify the word “and” in English as well. Certain versions of the ampersand, like that in the font Caslon, clearly reveal the origin of the shape. The word “ampersand” came many years later when “&” was actually part of the English alphabet. In the early 1800s, school children reciting their ABCs concluded the alphabet with the &. It would have been confusing to say “X, Y, Z, and.” Rather, the students said, “and per se and.” “Per se” means “by itself,” so the students were essentially saying, “X, Y, Z, and by itself and.” Over time, “and per se and” was slurred together into the word we use today: ampersand. When a word comes about from a mistaken pronunciation, it’s called a mondegreen. The ampersand is also used in an unusual configuration where it appears as “&c” and means etc. The ampersand does double work as the e and t. The ampersand isn’t the only former member of the alphabet. Learn what led to the extinction of the thorn and the wynn. PreviousNext WORD OF THE DAY November 3, 2017 ebullient adjective | ih-buhl-yuh nt, ih-boo l- Sign up for our Newsletter! Start your day with weird words, fun quizzes, and language stories. Others Are Reading History 11 Insults We Should Bring Back Hey! You scobberlotcher! Grammar Words That Can Ruin Your Sentence How many of these crutch words do you rely on? Quotes Quotes on the Importance of Your Mind Video Ebullient: Visual Word of the Day If you can't pronounce the word ebullient, we have you covered. Holidays Outrageously Creative Costumes for Language Lovers Quizzes How Big is Your Vocabulary? Word of the Day Quiz Oct 23 - Oct 29 © 2017 Dictionary.com, LLC. About Terms & Privacy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KneeJerk Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 15 hours ago, Five By Five said: &??? He's been smoking the stuff you do. "I need some more of the good shit ... NOW!!!" kj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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