J-Source

A short history of the ampersand

Did you know the wily (seriously, try drawing it) ampersand is really the result of B.C.-era scribes working too fast while writing “e” and “t”? Did you know the wily (seriously, try drawing it) ampersand is really the result of B.C.-era scribes working too fast while writing “e” and “t”? Combined, the two letters were…

Did you know the wily (seriously, try drawing it) ampersand is really the result of B.C.-era scribes working too fast while writing “e” and “t”?

Did you know the wily (seriously, try drawing it) ampersand is really the result of B.C.-era scribes working too fast while writing “e” and “t”? Combined, the two letters were the Latin word et – as in “et, per se and”. Neat.

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For more on the short history of the ampersand, check out the National Post, which is currently featuring excerpts from the book Just My Type.