English word origin

Etymology of &c.

A use of the ligature & to stand for the et in etc. Compare & cetera.

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

phrase

Archaic form of etc..

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

A use of the ligature & to stand for the et in etc. Compare & cetera.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "ligature",
      "ligature"
    ],
    [
      "&",
      "&#English"
    ],
    [
      "et",
      "et#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "etc.",
      "etc.#English"
    ],
    [
      "& cetera",
      "& cetera#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "phrase",
      "glosses": [
        "Archaic form of etc.."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "archaic"
      ],
      "recordId": "7cd60220f10d96b7e7c1f5bfa42f824fcc0fa23dd41fd0aead29ff45a93dbfc3",
      "rawRecordSha256": "6ffc56d568823b3517f10692727bd763111813d9cbffbc35f166639c5081e134",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 507929
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for &c. →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-JmMu