G — Early letterforms, symbols and brevigraphs
Contents:
G1 Introduction
This appendix provides guidance for transcription of archaic letterforms and characters, including marks of punctuation, and archaic conventions of contraction. Although this appendix cannot be exhaustive, it is intended to provide sufficient guidance for the most common occurrences, and to give a basis for judgment in ambiguous situations. For transcription of characters commonly found in signature statements that cannot be reproduced using available typographical facilities, see 6.215.44.2.
G2 Early letterforms and symbols
[NOTE FROM KEEPERS OF THE TEXT: this table has not yet been recoded to be screen-reader friendly]
Early letterforms and symbols | ||||
Source | Modern form | Example | Transcribed example | Notes |
d | day sed | |||
ij | filij vitijs patrij | Ligatured italic ij looks like ÿ | ||
M | MDXCII M.D.XXIX. | Inverted C used to form roman numeral M or D is called an apostrophus | ||
D | ||||
r | corporis orders | |||
s | Iesus false fuisse safe | Long s (an f has a crossbar on the stem; the bar on a long s, if present, extends from one side only) | ||
ss | esse auss Kiess | |||
sz | überflusz | Long s and z are spaced normally, no ligature | ||
- | ale-houses | |||
° | můss | |||
·· | Glück | Superscript e functioning as an umlaut | ||
& | &c. &c. &c. | |||
G3 Brevigraphs
G3.05 The values of many brevigraphs are dependent on context. Some of the more common values are provided here, arranged in order of the modern characters they resemble, beginning with punctuation marks and numbers.
G3.1 Smooth horizontal line over a vowel typically represents n or m after the vowel; over a consonant it can represent any letter(s) coming before, after, or both before and after the marked letter.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | nu[m]ber | English |
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | mo[n]de | French |
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | die[m] | Latin |
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | begyn[n]yth | English |
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | ip[su]m | Latin |
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | q[uonia]m | Latin |
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | D[omi]n[u]s | Latin |
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | Bonon[iensis] | Latin |
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | Bononien[sis] | Latin |
G3.13 Jagged or broken line (like an incomplete handwritten a) over a letter typically represents an expansion containing the letter a. See also G3.65.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | q[ua]si | Latin |
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | t[ra]do | Latin |
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | &c[etera] | Latin |
G3.15 Apostrophe after a letter represents missing letter[s] (but do not expand conventional modern use of the apostrophe).
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [missing letter(s)] | (image) | t[er]ra[m] | Latin |
G3.17 Vertical squiggle at the end of a word represents s preceded by a vowel (typically es in English and is in Latin). Depending on the lettering style, these sometimes resemble a closing curly bracket or a closing square bracket.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [es] | (image) | kyng[es] | English |
| (image) | [is] | (image) | mult[is] | Latin |
| (image) | [is] | (image) | g[ra]dier[is] | Latin |
| (image) | [is] | (image) | mar[is] | Latin |
G3.2 Character resembling the number 3, handwritten letter z, or a semicolon typically represents et or us (after a consonant) or m (after a vowel); also used with h to represent habet, with s to represent sed, with sc to represent scilicet, and with q to represent que.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [et] | (image) | defe[n]der[et] | Latin |
| (image) | [m] | (image) | quiete[m] | Latin |
| (image) | [abet] | (image) | h[abet] | Latin |
| (image) | [ed] | (image) | s[ed] | Latin |
| (image) | [ed] | (image) | s[ed] | Latin |
| (image) | [ilicet] | (image) | sc[ilicet] | Latin |
| (image) | [ue] | (image) | q[ue] | Latin |
| (image) | [ue] | (image) | cuiq[ue] | Latin |
| (image) | [ue] | (image) | vsq[ue] | Latin |
G3.25 Character resembling an open-top number 4 or the number 2 with a line through the tail is actually a rotunda r with a line through the leg, and represents rum. See also G3.7.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | r[um] | (image) | quor[um] | Latin |
G3.27 Character resembling the number 9 at the beginning of a word typically represents com or con; at the end of a word (often in superscript) it typically represents us (but also other vowels followed by s)
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [com] | (image) | [com]me | French |
| (image) | [con] | (image) | [con]corde | French |
| (image) | [us] | (image) | th[us] | English |
| (image) | [us] | (image) | gen[us] | Latin |
| (image) | [us] | (image) | min[us] | Latin |
G3.3 Character resembling a b is actually a long s plus a curved line. It usually represents ser, but is also used to abbreviate secundum; in German, however, it is simply an ss ligature (see G2
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | s[er] | (image) | s[er]u[us] | Latin |
| (image) | s[ecundu] | (image) | s[ecundu]m | Latin |
G3.33 Character resembling a backwards c typically represents con or com, but also cum, cun, and other c-syllables.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [com] | (image) | [com]mane[n]t | Latin |
| (image) | [con] | (image) | [con]cepit | Latin |
| (image) | [con] | (image) | [con]scie[n]tia | Latin |
G3.35 Letter d with an extra ascender represents de and (depending on the language) also der, dis, dum and other d-syllables (including uod after q).
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | d[e] | (image) | d[e] | Latin |
| (image) | d[e] | (image) | D[e][us] | Latin |
| (image) | d[e] | (image) | d[e]ua[n]t | French |
| (image) | d[er] | (image) | d[er] | German |
| (image) | [uo]d | (image) | q[uo]d | Latin |
| (image) | [uo]d | (image) | q[uo]d | Latin |
G3.37 Letter e with a hook underneath represents ae.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [a]e | (image) | c[a]elum | Latin |
G3.4 Letter h with a diagonal line on the ascender represents various h-syllables.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | h[an] | (image) | Ioh[ann]es | Latin |
| (image) | h[et] | (image) | p[ro]ph[et]as | Latin |
| (image) | h[ic] | (image) | h[ic] | Latin |
G3.45 Small superscript o indicates one or more missing letters in proximity to the o.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [er]...o | (image) | [er]go | Latin |
| (image) | o[c] | (image) | ho[c] | Latin |
| (image) | [u]o | (image) | q[u]os | Latin |
G3.5 Letter p with stroke on top represents pri.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | p[ri] | (image) | p[ri]mu[m] | Latin |
G3.53 Letter p with a bar crossing the descender represents p followed by a vowel and an r.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | p[ar] | (image) | p[ar]tes | Latin |
| (image) | p[er] | (image) | p[er] | Latin |
| (image) | p[er] | (image) | p[er]sons | English |
| (image) | p[or] | (image) | corp[or]is | Latin |
G3.55 Letter p with a tail at the baseline represents pro.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | p[ro] | (image) | p[ro]chain | French |
| (image) | p[ro] | (image) | p[ro]stratos | Latin |
G3.6 Letter q with stroke on top represents qui.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | q[ui] | (image) | alq[ui]s | Latin |
G3.63 Letter q with a bar crossing the descender represents qui.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | q[ui] | (image) | seq[ui] | Latin |
G3.65 Letter q plus a curved line represents quod.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | q[uod] | (image) | q[uod] | Latin |
G3.67 Letter q with a jagged or broken line on top (see G3.13) plus a line through the descender, or plus a shape resembling the number 3, a handwritten letter z, or a semicolon (see G3.2), or plus a curved line, represents quam or quan.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | q[uam] | (image) | quanq[uam] | Latin |
| (image) | q[uan] | (image) | q[uan]tum | Latin |
| (image) | q[uam] | (image) | nunq[uam] | Latin |
| (image) | q[uan] | (image) | q[uan]tu[m] | Latin |
| (image) | q[uam] | (image) | nunq[uam] | Latin |
| (image) | q[uan] | (image) | q[uan]t | Latin |
G3.69 Letter q plus rotunda r represents quia.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | q[uia] | (image) | q[uia] | Latin |
G3.7 Letter R with a line through the leg at the end of a word represents rum.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | r[um] | (image) | rer[um] | Latin |
G3.75 Letter t with a superscript squiggle resembling a rotunda r or the number 2 typically represents tur.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | t[ur] | (image) | fert[ur] | Latin |
| (image) | t[ur] | (image) | videt[ur] | Latin |
G3.8 Letter v with a line through the first diagonal represents v followed by a vowel and an r.
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | v[er] | (image) | v[er]itat[is] | Latin |
| (image) | v[ir] | (image) | v[ir]tutesq[ue] | Latin |
G3.85 First two letters (chi and rho) in the Greek word Kristos adapted for the Latin alphabet, often with a horizontal line above representing missing letters (see G3.1).
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [chr] | (image) | [chr]ristienne | French |
| (image) | [Christ] | (image) | [Christ]i | Latin |
| (image) | [Christu] | (image) | [Christu]s | Latin |
G3.9 Letter y with a superscript letter can represent th (or th followed by a vowel) in English based on its resemblance to the handwritten Old English/Icelandic character þ [thorn].
| Source | Transcription | Example | Transcription of example | Language of example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (image) | [th] | (image) | [th]e | English |
| (image) | [th] | (image) | [th]e | English |
| (image) | [th] | (image) | [th]e | English |
| (image) | [th] | (image) | [tha]t | English |
