What character was removed from the alphabet but is still used every day?

Dictionary.com ^ | September 2, 2011 | staff reporter

[Daffynition]

Johnson & Johnson, Barnes & Noble, Dolce & Gabbana: the ampersand today is used primarily in business names, but that small character was once the 27th part of the alphabet. Where did it come from though? The origin of its name is almost as bizarre as the name itself.

The shape of the character (&) predates the word ampersand by more than 1,500 years. In the first century, Roman scribes wrote in cursive, so when they wrote the Latin word et which means “and” they linked the e and t. Over time the combined letters came to signify the word “and” in English as well. Certain versions of the ampersand, like that in the font Caslon, clearly reveal the origin of the shape.

The word “ampersand” came many years later when “&” was actually part of the English alphabet. In the early 1800s, school children reciting their ABCs concluded the alphabet with the &. It would have been confusing to say “X, Y, Z, and.” Rather, the students said, “and per se and.” “Per se” means “by itself,” so the students were essentially saying, “X, Y, Z, and by itself and.” Over time, “and per se and” was slurred together into the word we use today: ampersand. When a word comes about from a mistaken pronunciation, it’s called a mondegreen. Find out why here.

(The ampersand is also used in an unusual configuration where it appears as “&c” and means etc. The ampersand does double work as the e and t.)

[Salamander]

OMG...is my species really Ancient Aliens??

[Texas Songwriter]

I have written the music and lyrics to several hundred songs,.....I can't read a lick of music. My children are experts in reading music, violin, cello, piano,...Me? I play a few chords on the guitar and write the lyrics....then we get the studio musicians together, and they play what I have written.

What you have put there seems to be treble base notation....something or another...I am sure some freeper will know the answer to it....just not this freeper. Thanks.

[Post Toasties]

How about the lower case ampersand which looks like an upside down 4?

or the cursive ampersand?

Guess it takes all types (pun intended:)

[Freedom56v2]

HaHa :)

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

A was an apple pie,
B bit it,
C cut it,
D dealt it,
E eat it,
F fought for it,
G got it,
H had it,
I inspected it,
J jumped for it,
K kept it,
L longed for it,
M mourned for it,
N nodded at it,
O opened it,
P peeped in it,
Q quartered it,
R ran for it,
S stole it,
T took it,
U upset it,
V viewed it,
W wanted it,
X, Y, Z, and ampersand
All wished for a piece in hand.

[djf]

Amperspam?

Nope.
Spampersand.

[Daffynition]

Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds salamanders.

[Daffynition]

Makes me want to stitch a sampler. :)

More lost letters. Yogh!

[Daffynition]

LOL ...you can take that to the bank. G'Nite.

[Immerito]

Interesting reading. Thank you!

[djf]

Lol!

Nite.

Thanks again for a thread where people can just chuckle and have fun.

Not call each other jerks and twits and worse...

FR is a community, but lately it’s seeming more and more like the internet home of The Lord of The Flies!!

[jocon307]

Nice, it’s been a while since I saw that one.

[Salamander]

;D

[Cvengr]

bump

[Erasmus]

Or a battery with electrodes stuck in on either side.

[Salamander]

"Lord Of The Frogs"

[The Cajun]

When ever I see a post with a picture of the *alienologist dude* I have to click on the thread, know there's some serious nuttery going on :^)

[Salamander]

Blame Cripplecreek.

He gave me that link and I’ve been annoying everybody with it ever since.

:)

[rmlew]

I've always fancied ye letter thorn

[Daffynition]

LOL ...and I, this one...