 | ||||||||
| ||||||||
A stylized form ofLatinet(“and”); part of the system ofTironian notes, shorthand popularly credited toCicero’s scribeMarcus Tullius Tiro from first century BC. Compare to&, of same meaning and similar derivation. Despite the similar origin and same meaning the two symbols evolved separately from each other.
⁊ (upper case⹒)
Found inOld English andOld Irish manuscripts, among many other languages. Still used in Ireland, as of 2024; was used in other languages inblackletter text as late as 1821. Still used rarely by certain non-Irish educated writers (though perhaps seen as slightlyeccentric and/orpedantic).
In Old English manuscripts, it stood not only for the conjunctionand,ond(“and”), but also for the prefixand-,ond-; thusandswaru(“answer”) could be written⁊swaru.
⁊
⁊
In some cases, this symbol was used in the spelling of words beginning withand-. For example,andswerede(“answered”) might be written⁊swerede.
⁊
⁊
