| Tironian notes |
|
|---|---|
| Type | printed semi-syllabic shorthand |
| Languages | Latin |
| Creator | Marcu Tullius Tiro |
| Created | 60s BCE |
| Time period | 1st century BCE-16th century ACE |
| Status | some Tironian symbols still in modern use |
| Unicode range | Et: U+204A; MUFI |
| Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols. | |
Tironian notes (notae Tironianae) is a system of shorthand said to have been invented by Cicero's scribe Marcus Tullius Tiro. Tiro's system consisted of about 4,000 signs, somewhat extended in classical times to 5,000 signs. In the European Medieval period, Tironian notes were taught in monasteries and the system was extended to about 13,000 signs (see scribal abbreviations).[1] The use of Tironian notes declined after 1100 but some use can still be seen through the 17th century.[2][3]
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Notae can be themselves composites (ligatures) of simpler notae, the resulting compound still being far shorter than the word it replaces. This accounts in part for the large number of attested notae, and for the wide variation in estimates of the total number of notae. Further, the "same" sign can have multiple variant forms, leading to the same issue. (See external link for examples.)
The earliest western shorthand system known to us is that employed by the Greek historian, Xenophon in the memoir of Socrates, called notae socratae.
The first report of the usage of tironian notes is by Plutarch who notes that in 63 BC it was used to record Cato's denunciation against Catiline:
Dio Cassius attributes to Maecenas the invention of shorthand, and states that he employed his freedman Aquila in teaching the system to numerous others.[5]
Isidore of Seville, however, details another version of the early history of the system,[6] ascribing the invention of the art to Quintus Ennius, who he says invented 1100 marks (Latin: notae). Isidore states that Tiro brought the practice to Rome, but only used notae for prepositions. Isidore tells of the development of additional notae by various hands, viz., Vipsanius, "Philargius", and Aquila (as above), until Seneca systematized the various marks to approximately 5000 notae.
In the Middle Ages, notae to represent words were widely used in conjunction with other scribal abbreviations and the initial symbols were expanded to 14,000 by the Carolingians; but the stenographic alphabet notation had a "murky existence" (C. Burnett) as it was often associated with witchcraft and magic, and was forgotten until interest was rekindled by the Thomas Beckett, archbishop of Canterbury, in the 12th century. In the 15th century Johannes Trithemius, abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Sponheim, discovered the notae Benenses: a psalm and a Ciceronian lexicon written in Tironian shorthand.[7]
Tironian notes are still used today, particularly, the Tironian "et", used in Ireland to mean 'and' – also used elsewhere in blackletter texts as late as 1821 – and in the "z" of "viz." (for 'et' in videlicet).
The Tironian "et" can look very similar to an "r rotunda" (ꝛ), depending on the typeface.
In Old English Manuscripts, the Tironian "et" served as both a sonic and morphological place holder. For instance a Tironian "et" between two words would be phonetically pronounced "ond" and would mean "and". However if the Tironian "et" followed the letter "s", then it would be phonetically pronounced "sond" and mean water (cognate with English sound). This additional function of a phonetic as well as a conjunction place holder has escaped formal Modern English; for example, one may not spell the word "sand" as "s&" (although this occurs in an informal style practised on certain internet forums). However, "&c." for "etc." is still seen in handwriting and books.
The possibilities to use Tironian notes on modern computers are very limited. The Tironian et ("and") ⁊ is available at Unicode point U+204A. A number of other Tironian signs have been assigned to the Private Use Area of Unicode by the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI) who also provide links to free typefaces that support their specifications.
Some applications (for example the Scottish Gaelic localisation of Firefox and Opera) use the box-drawing character U+2015 ┐ instead as it displays widely.