Re: CHAT: Ampersands

Hello,

> > PS - ObLang:  I also love the ampersand &, even since I learned that
> it was
> > evolved from the Latin |et| "and".  Think of how many
> people (especially
> > over the Internet or otherwise on the computer) use &.
> Latin's fingers
> > really are in lots of pies!
>
> It's even better than that.  "&" was adopted in medieval scriptoria as
> a convenient abbreviation.  Thus, we not only continue Latin but we
> also perpetuate the monastic literary copying tradition.  Given how
> many clerics did conlanging, it's deliciously appropirate.
Funny you should mention it. Lately, I've been catching myself using 7
instead of 'and' - it is a sign used for 'and' by Irish, Anglo-Saxon and
early Welsh scribes. (well, it looks almost like a '7') I even did it
when writing a formula of logic, so I wrote something like _aRb 7 bRc =>
aRc_. Good thing I did catch myself red-handed, 'cause it was at the
exam :-)

ObLang: is it true that the word 'ampersand' is a corruption of _'and'
per se_?

Pavel
--
Pavel Iosad               pavel_iosad@mail.ru

Is mall a mharcaicheas am fear a bheachdaicheas
                 --Scottish proverb

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