U+204A, ⁊
TIRONIAN SIGN ET

[U+2049]
General Punctuation
[U+204B]

Translingual

edit
 
Tironian-note abbreviations for et (and)
 
Contemporary usage in Ireland
 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

edit

A stylized form of Latin et (and); part of the system of Tironian notes, shorthand popularly credited to Cicero’s scribe Marcus 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.

Symbol

edit

(upper case )

  1. Tironian sign representing et (and)

Usage notes

edit

Found in Old English and Old Irish manuscripts, among many other languages. Still used in Ireland, as of 2024; was used in other languages in blackletter text as late as 1821. Still used rarely by certain non-Irish educated writers (though perhaps seen as slightly eccentric and/or pedantic).

In Old English manuscripts, it stood not only for the conjunction and, ond (and), but also for the prefix and-, ond-; thus andswaru (answer) could be written ⁊swaru.

Synonyms

edit

Descendants

edit
  • German: ⁊c., ꝛc.

See also

edit

Irish

edit

Conjunction

edit

  1. Abbreviation of agus (and)

Derived terms

edit

Old English

edit

Conjunction

edit

  1. Scribal abbreviation of and (and).

Old Irish

edit

Conjunction

edit

  1. Scribal abbreviation of ocus (and)

Scottish Gaelic

edit

Conjunction

edit

  1. Abbreviation of agus (and)

Derived terms

edit