Evolution of &: How ‘per se, and’ became Ampersand

September 29, 2025

Images: Shutterstock

Originating from Latin, the ampersand, commonly written as &, started as a simple ligature joining e and t, forming “et,” which means ‘and’ in Latin.

Origins of ‘&’

A ligature is when two or more letters are combined into a single symbol. ‘Et’ also became a shorthand, which is simply a method of writing quickly that uses signs or short forms of words.

In Ancient Rome, scribes often used ‘et’ for speed. It later evolved this shorthand into a symbol which was used as an early form of the ampersand.

Roman culture

To save valuable parchment space and make text more compact, the letter E was looped into the T by the scribes, making a shape close to today’s &.

The symbol &

The ampersand appears in ancient manuscripts as early as the first century AD. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly used in religious and academic writings.

The invention of the printing press in the 15th century led to its global adaptation, using the ampersand in early typefaces. Printers standardised it, spreading the symbol globally.

Global usage

The ampersand was once considered the 27th letter of the English alphabet. Children recited it in the classrooms, ending their ABCs with “X, Y, Z and per se, and.”

27 Alphabets

The term ampersand evolved through classroom phrases as students saying “and per se, and”, slurring the words together and creating the modern term we use today.

Ampersand

Calligraphers and typographers used ampersand as an artistic symbol, from minimalist fonts to decorative styles, showcasing creativity. 

Art and typography

Gradually, the ampersand started appearing in brand names, business partnerships and pop culture, such as H&M, Marks & Spencer, Brown& Co and many more.

Commercial use

The ampersand also serves a technical purpose in programming languages. It is used in HTML, URLs and part of various coding languages, making it a part of the digital age.

Programming 

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