The Ampersand and Free Printable

Hi friends! My name is Patti Wunder and I'm usually found over at Easton Place. I'm filling in for the day. (Thank you, Heidi, for allowing me to join the bloggy goodness here at Row House 14)

Today I offer you a fun printable and a tiny little history lesson.

The Ampersand!

Did you know...

• Its original form was based on the Latin word “et”, meaning, logic will tell you, “and”.
• As it was used in manuscripts in the following centuries, the shorthand form for writing it developed into what we see today.
• At one point it was incorporated into the English alphabet (unofficially, as always with English) as “and”, making 27 letters.
• When reciting the alphabet, it was correct to say “and per se and” (and for itself, i.e. not introducing another item to the list).
• This cumbersome “and per se and” got truncated into “ampersand”, which is its official name as of today. (thank you Trusted Translations for this info)

Today, the ampersand is loved by people from all walks of life, and has become an unofficial mascot of designers world wide.

Take a look at this sampling of Pinterest boards devoted to the love of the ampersand:

In honor of The Ampersand, I offer you this free printable.

I hope it inspires you as it has inspired me.

To download a PDF of the printable, simply click on the image.

Thanks for reading!

Wishing you all a day filled with inspiration.

xoxo

Patti

Easton Place