A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

a - to, at
a.c.- ante Christum - before Christ
a.i. - in the meanwhile (L. ad interim)
A.M.- Hail Mary (L. Ave Maria)
a.m.- before noon, in the morning (L. ante meridiem)
a.m.- in the year of the world (L. anno mundi)
A.M.- master of arts (L. artium magister)
A.M.D.G..- for the greater glory of God (L.ad majorem Dei gloriam)
a.r.- in the year of the reign (L. anno regni)
a.r.r.- in the year of the reign of the king/queen (L. anno regni regis /reginae)
a.u.c. - from the founding of the city (of Rome) (L. - ab urbe condita / anno urbis conditae)
ab - from
ad inf.- to infinity, on and on (L. ad infinitum)
ad int. - in the meantime, meanwhile (L. ad interim)
ad lib. - at pleasure
ad libit.- at pleasure
ad libitum - at pleasure
ad loc.- at the place
ad val. - to the (correct) value
AE - aged, of age (L. aetatis)
aet.- aged, of age (L. aetatis)
ag.- silver (L. argetnum)
an.- in the year (L. anno)
aq.- water, in water (L. aqua)
as.- arsenic (L. arsenicum)
au.- gold (L. aurum)
aur.- gold (L. aurum)

B

B.C.L. - Bachelor of Civil Law (L. Baccalaureus Civilis Legis)
B.D.- Bachelor of Divinity (L. Baccalaureus Divinitatis)
B.LL.- Bachelor of Laws (L. Baccalaureus Legum)
B.M.- Bachelor of Medicine (L. Baccalaureus Medicinae)
B.Mus.- Bachelor of Music (L. Baccalaureus Musicae)
B.Sc.- Bachelor of Science (L. Baccalaureus Scientiae)
B.V.- Blessed Virgin (L. beata virgo)
B.V.M.- Blessed Virgim Mary (L. beata Maria virgo)

C

C - one hundred (Roman numeration)
C. - Chapter (L. caput)
c. - one hundred (L. centum)
C.R. - Keeper of the Rolls (L. Custos Rotulorum)
C.R. - King Charles (L. Carolus Rex)
C.R. - Queen Caroline (L. Carolina Regina)
C.R. - Roman citizen (L. Civis Romanus)
Cantab. - of Cambridge (L. Cantabriegensis)
Cantuar. - of Canterbury (L. Cantuariensis)
Cap. - Chapter (L. caput)
cent. - one hundred (L. centum)
cf. - refer to (L. confer - refer to, compare, consult)
Ch.B. - Bachelor of Surgery (L. Chirurgiae Baccalaureus)
Ch.D. - Doctor of Surgery (L. Chirurgiae Doctor)
Ch.M. - Master of Surgery (L. Chirurgiae Magister)
Coad. - coadjutor
coch. - a spoonful (in medicine) (L. cochleare)
cochl. - a spoonful (in medicine) (L. cochleare)
con. - against (L. contra)
conf. - refer to (L. confer - refer to, compare, consult)
corol. - collorary
Coss. - consuls (L. consules)
ct. - a hundred (L. centum)
Cu. - copper (L. cuprum)
cum d. - with a dividend (L. cum dividendo)

D

D - five hundred (Roman numeration)
d. - a penny, pence (L. denarius, denarii)
D.C.L. - Doctor of Civil Law (L. Doctor Civilis Legis)
D.D.- Doctor of Divinity (L. Doctor Divinitatis)
D.D.D. - he/she gave and consecrated as a gift (L. dono dedit et dedicavit)
D.L.L.- Doctor of Laws (L. Doctor Legum)
D.M.- Doctor of Medicine (L. Doctor Medicinae)
D.Mus.- Doctor of Music (L. Doctor Musicae)
D.O.M - to God, the best, the greatest (L. Deo Optimo Maximo)
d.s.p. - he/she died without issue (L. decessit sine prole)
D.Sc.- Doctor of Science (L. Doctor Scientiae)
D.T. - Doctor of Divinity (L. Doctor Theologiae)
D.V. - God willing (L. Deo volente)
d.v.p. - he/she died during the lifetime of the father (L. decessit vita patris)
del. - he/she drew it (L. delineavit)

E

e.g. - for example, for instance (L. exempli gratia)
Eblan. - of Dublin (L. Eblanensis)
Ebor. - of York (L. Eboracensis)
et al. - and elsewhere (L. et alibi) et aL. - and others (L. et alii (men), et aliae (women), et alia (things))
et seq. - and the following (L. et sequentes, et sequentia)
etc. - and others, and so forth (L. et caeteri (male items), et caeterae (female items), et caetera (neuter items))
ex g. - by way of example, for instance (L. exempli gratia)

F

F.D. - Defender of the Faith (L. Fidei Defensor, Fidei Defensatrix)
fe. - iron (L. ferrum)
fec. - he/she made/did it (L. fecit)
Fid.Def. - Defender of the Faith (L. Fidei Defensor, Fidei Defensatrix)

G

gtt. - drops (in medicine) (L. guttae)

H

h.e. - this/that is (L. hic est, hoc est)
H.J. - here lies buried (L. hic jacet sepultus /sepulta)
H.J.S. - here lies buried (L. hic jacet sepultus /sepulta)
H.M.P. - he/she erected this monument (L. hoc monumentum posuit)
H.R.I.P. - here lies in peace (L. hic requiescit in pace)
H.S. - here lies (L. hic situs)
h.t. - by /under this title (L. hoc titulo)
h.t. - at/in this time (L. hoc tempore)
hab.corp. - produce the person before the court (L. habeas corpus)
Hg. - mercury (L. hyrdargyrum)

I

I - one (Roman numeration)
I.D.N. - in the name of God (L. in Dei nomine)
i.e. - that is (L. id est)
I.H.S. - in the Cross, salvation (L. in hac (cruce) salus)
I.H.S. - Jesus, the saviour of men (L. Jesus hominum salvator)
I.N.R.I. - Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews (L. Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judeorum)
I.P.D. - in the presence of the (Scottish) Lords (L. in presentia Dominorum)
i.q. - the same as (L. idem quod)
ib. - in the same place (L. ibidem)
ibid. - in the same place (L. ibidem)
Imp. - Emperor (L. imperator)
in f. - at the end (L. in fine)
in lim. - at the beginning, at the outset (L. in limine)
in loc. - in its place (L. in loco)
in trans. - in transit, on the way (L. in transitu)

J

J.C.D. - Doctor of Civil Law (L. Juris Civilis Doctor)
J.D. - Doctor of Laws (L. Jurum Doctor)
J.H.S. - Jesus, the saviour of men (L. Jesus hominum salvator)
J.R. - King James (L. Jacobus Rex)
J.U.D. Doctor of Civil and Canon Law (L. Juris Utriusque Doctor)
J.V.D. Doctor of Civil and Canon Law (L. Juris Vtriusque Doctor)

K

K. - potassium (L. kalium)

L

L - fifty (Roman numeration)
L. - Latin, in Latin (L. latina, latine)
L. - a pound, pounds (lib. libra, librae)
L.c. - in the place quoted (L. loco citato)
L.S. - place of the seal (on a document) (L. locus sigilli)
L.s.d. - pounds, shillings and pence (L. librae, solidi, denarii)
lb. - pounds (L. librae)
Lib. - book (L. liber)
lit. - in words, in writing (L. litteris)
Lit.D. - Doctor of Literature (L. Literarum Doctor)
Litt.D. - Doctor of Literature (L. Literarum Doctor)
LL.B. - Bachelor of Laws (L. Legum Baccalaureus)
LL.D. - Doctor of Laws (L. Legum Doctor)
LL.M. - Master of Laws (L. Legum Magister)
loq. - speaks (L. loquitur)

M

M - one thousand (Roman numeration, lit. mille)
M.A. - Master of Arts (L. Magister Artium)
M.B.- Bachelor of Medicine (L. Medicinae Baccalaureus)
M.Ch. - Master of Surgery (L. Chirurgiae Magister)
M.D.- Doctor of Medicine (L. Doctor Medicinae)
Mus.B. - Bachelor of Music (L. Musicae Baccalaureus)
Mus.D. - Doctor of Music (L. Musicae Doctor)
Mus.M. - Master of Music (L. Musicae Magister)

N

N.B.. - please note, note well, take notice (L. nota bene (sing.), notate bene (plural))
n.l. - it is not clear (L. non liquet)
N.S.J.C. - Our saviour Jesus Christ (L. Noster Salvator Jesus Christus)
Na. - sodium (L. natrium)
nem. con. - no one contradicting, unanimously (L. nemine contradicent)
nem. dis. - no one dissenting, unanimously (L. nemine dissentiente)
No. - number (L. numero)
Non obst. - notwithstanding (L. non obstante)
Non pros. - he/she does not prosecute (L. non prosequitur)
Non seq. - it does not follow (L. non sequitur)

O

ob. - he/she died (L. obiit)
Op. - a work, a musical composition (L. opus (sing.), opera (plural))
Oxon. - Oxford, of Oxford (L. Oxonia, Oxoniensis)

P

P.B. - Bachelor of Philosophy (L. Philosophiae Baccalaureus)
P.D.- Doctor of Philosophy (L. Philosophiae Doctor)
P.M. - afternoon, after midday (L. post meridiem)
P.P. - father of his country (L. pater patriae)
P.R. - the Roman people (L. Populus Romanus)
P.R.C. - after the founding of Rome (L. post Romam conditam)
P.S. - a postscript, an item written after the signature on a letter (L. post scriptum)
Pb. - lead (L. plumbum)
per an. - by year, yearly (L. per annum)
per cent. - percentage, by the hundred (L. per centum)
per ct. - percentage, by the hundred (L. per centum)
Ph.B. - Bachelor of Philosophy (L. Philosophiae Baccalaureus)
Ph.D.- Doctor of Philosophy (L. Philosophiae Doctor)
pinx. - he/she painted it pro tem. - for the time being (L. pro tempore)
pp. - pages (L. paginae) prox. - next, in the next (L. proximus, proximo)
pulv. - powder (L. pulvis)
pxt. - he/she painted it

Q

q.d. - as if he/she should say (L. quasi dicat)
q.e. - which/what is (L. quod est)
Q.E.D. - what was to be proven /demonstrated (L. quod erat demonstrandum)
Q.E.F. - what was needed to be done (L. quod erat faciendum)
Q.E.I. - what was required to be found out (L. quod erat inveniendum)
q.l. - as much as you like (L. quantum libet)
q.p. - as much as you please (L. quantum placet)
q.pl. - as much as you please (L. quantum placet)
q.s. - a sufficient quantity (L. quantum sufficit)
q.v. - which see (L. quod vide)

R

R. - King, Queen (L. Rex, Regina)
r. - take (L. recipe)
R.I.P. - may he/she/they rest in peace (L. requiescat /requiescant in pace)
rad. - root (L. radix)

S

s. - fellow (L. socius)
s. - shilling(s) (L. solidus, solidi)
S.A. - according to art (L. secundum artem)
S.C. - a decree of the Senate (L. Senatus Consultum)
s.h.v. - under this heading /word (L. sub hac voce)
s.l.p. - without legitimate issue (L. sine legitima prole)
S.M.M. - Holy mother Mary (L. Sancta Mater Mariae)
s.m.p. - without male issue (L. sine mascula prole)
s.p. - without issue (L. sine prole)
S.P.Q.R - the Senate and People of Rome (L.Senatus Populusque Romanus)
s.p.s. - without surviving issue (L. sine prole superstite)
S.R.I. - Holy Roman Empire (L. Sanctum Romanum Imperium)
S.T.D. - Doctor of Divinity / Theology (L. Sacrae Theologiae Doctor)
S.V. - Holy Virgin (L. Sancta virgo)
s.v. - under the title / word (L. sub voce)
S.V. - Your Holiness (L. Sanctitas vestra)
Sb. - antimony (L. stibium)
sc. - he/she engraved it (L. sculpsit)
sc. - namely, to wit, being understood (L. scilicet)
Sc.B - Bachelor of Science (L. Scientiae Baccalaureus)
Sc.D. - Doctor of Science (L. Scientiae Doctor)
scan.mag - defamatory expressions against a person of position (L. scandalum magnatum)
scil. - namely, to wit, being understood (L. scilicet)
sculp. - he/she engraved it (L. sculpsit)
sculpt. - he/she engraved it (L. sculpsit)
seq. - the following, the next (L. sequentes, sequentia)
sine die - no date set (L. without a day)
Sn. - tin (L. stannum)
st. - let is stand as is (L. stet)

T

temp. - in the time of (L. tempore)
text. rec. - received text (L. textus receptus)

U

U.C. - from / of the founding of the city (of Rome) (L. Urbis Conditae)
u.s. - as above (L. ut supra)

V

V - five (Roman numeration)
v. - against (L. versus)
v. - see (L. vide)
V.R. - Queen Victoria (L. Victoria Regina)
V.R.I. - Victoria Queen Empress (L. Victoria Regina Imperatrix)
var. lect. - a different reading (L. varia lectio)
viz. - namely, to wit, being understood (L. videlicit)
vs. - against (L. versus)
vv.ll. - various readings (L. variae lectiones)

X

X - ten (Roman numeration)