Of typewriters, runes, and short-hand
Or, why is the &
on the 7
key?
Back in ca. 2003, when I was preparing the diplomatic edition of Beowulf for Beowulf on Steorarume (heorot.dk), I noticed the use of what looks like the Arabic numeral ‘7’ for and (Old English ond).
Beowulf f.132v: ll.120b-123a
![](/post/tironian_et_and_ampersand_seven/132v-selection-highlight_hu3c83ab3408d064b8648f023903ad287a_187993_74bed07be818626af9dd1706cc324126.jpg)
wiht unhælo
grim ⁊ grædig gearo sona wæs
reoc ⁊ reþe ⁊ on ræste genam
þritig þegna
The unholy creature,
grim and greedy, soon was geared-up,
wild and savage; and seized from their sleep
thirty thanes