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kentishbear | 17:00 Tue 03rd Jun 2008 | Phrases & Sayings

8 Answers

How and when did the symbol "&" become to mean "and" in the English Language? eg phrases & sayings!

philosophical maxim discouraging needless assumptions?

Toe the line and coming up to scratch ?

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jno

I think it was used by medieval scribes to save time, in the days before printing. It's called an ampersand.

factor-fiction

I have read a few times that it used to be regarded as a letter in the alphabet in the late 19th/early 20th century when the alphabet used to have 27 letters. Can anyone substantiate this?

novalis

From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable:-
"The character & for "and". In the old hornbooks, after giving the 26 letters, the character & was added( ...x, y, z & ) and was called "Ampersand", a corruption of "and per se and", i.e. the symbol itself represents "and". The symbol is an adaptation of "et" ( Latin for "and" ) as can be seen in the italic ampersand where the e and the cross of the t are clearly visible.

Quizmonster

The 'word' itself - in the form a per se - is first recorded in 1475.

kentishbear

Question Author

thanks for the answers everyone, i appreciate it.

Jillius

I've thought that before....................also, why is missus shortened to mrs when there isn't an r in the word missus ??

novalis

Jillius,
Both Mrs. and missus are corruptions of mistress, an old title to given to a married woman.

Jillius

Well ! I never thought of that novalis ! You learn something new every day. Thanks.

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