Latin Symbols Used In Incunabula

The incunabula, or books printed before December 31, 1501, imitated written manuscripts to a large extent. The printers had several scores of symbols prepared to print the various abbreviatory and stylistic flourishes used in writing Latin. The following symbols will be helpful not only to those wanting to read the incunabula, but also those desiring to make their way through old wills and manuscripts.

NB: I apologize for the way your browser might handle the alignment of some of these images used for the examples. It will take me a while to put the images together and build combined images for better examples. —The Author. [Feb 2005]

Symbol	Latin letter combinations	Where I/M/F/A	Examples
x’	(any letter(s))	A	(after any letter)
	i, r (+ any letter(s))	A	(above a letter not having an ascender)
	a (+ any letter(s))	A	(above any letter)
	o (+ any letter(s))	A	(above any letter)
	(any letter(s))	A	(above any letter(s))
	(any letter(s))	A	(above any letter(s))
	com, con, cum, cun	I/M	pelli = compelli; ta = contra; qui = quicunque
	us	F	quib = quibus
	us	A	fili = filius
	con	I	iugio = conjugio
	et	A	= et
c	etcetera	A	c = etcetera
	per, par, por	A	fect = perfectus; oecia = paroecia
	pre	A	poit = prepositus
	pro	A	poit = propositus
	pro	A	poit = propositus
	qui	A	= quisque
	qui, quæ	A	= quisque
	que, quod	A	= quod
	quam, quan	A	= quam
	quam, quan	A	tus = quantus
	que	A	= quisque
	r	M/F	ta = contra
	s	I/M	= quisque
	rum	A	u o d’i = servus servorum dei
	sis, sz, ss, ser	A	p = impensis; mo = sermo
m	secundum	A	m = secundum
	is	A	= is
	de, dis, dum, der	A	= de
	tra	A	ns = trans
	vir, ver	A	= vir; itas = veritas
	m, us, et	F	preu = impressum; tib = temporibus; deceder = decederet; videl = videlicet
	et	A	= et
(=Et)	et	A	= et
	rum, rubr	A	ica = rubrica; humo = humorum
	quum	A	e = equum
	4	A	= (the Arabic numeral “4”)
	5	A	= (the Arabic numeral “5”)
	7	A	= (the Arabic numeral “7”)
	M	A	= M (the Roman numeral for “1000”)
	D	A	= D (the Roman numeral for “500”)