Breviograph Explained

A breviograph or brevigraph (from Latin: brevis, short, and Greek grapho, to write) is a type of scribal abbreviation in the form of an easily written symbol, character, flourish or stroke, based on a modified letter form to take the place of a common letter combination, especially those occurring at the beginning or end of a word. Breviographs were used frequently by stenographers, law clerks and scriveners, and they were also found in early printed books and tracts.^[1] Their use declined after the 17th century.

Examples

Examples of breviographs:^{[2] [3] [4]}

• & — et (e.g. &c = etc)
• ⋅i⋅ — id est
• ꝑ — per-, pre-, or par- (e.g. ꝑson = person)
• ß — ser-, sur-, or sir- (e.g. ßuaunt = seruaunt = servant)
• X — Christ- (e.g. Xian = Christian)

See also

• Acronym and initialism
• Palaeography
• Tironian notes
• Classical abbreviations
• Medieval abbreviations
• Scribal abbreviations

Sources

• Elaine E. Whitaker, "Lacunae and the id est Brevigraph in Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 283," Manuscripta 36, no. 3 (1992), 191–99.

Notes and References

1. Tannenbaum, Samuel A. The Handwriting of the Renaissance (1931), New York: Columbia UP, 125-134.
2. Web site: Basic Conventions for Transcription. English Handwriting 1500-1700: An Online Course. Andrew. Zurcher. University of Cambridge. 2018-03-04.
3. Book: Reed, Melania Sánchez. Current Trends in Anglophone Studies. Javier. García Ruano. Transcribing Mediaeval Science for Electronic Editions. 2011. Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. 9788478001576. 134.
4. Web site: Alphabet Abbreviations. Practical Paleography. Folger Shakespeare Library.