Why are i.e. (id est) and e.g. (exempli gratia) abbreviated with periods between each word and etc. (et cetera) not abbreviated as et.c.?
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5et isn't abbreviated is it?– JimCommented Apr 9, 2015 at 1:24
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@Jim are you asking why the last et is not abbreviated?– SO_fix_the_vote_sorting_bugCommented Dec 31, 2022 at 22:50
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1 Answer
The reason is because the original abbreviation of the phrase "et cetera" was "&c.", and in fact the ampersand existed as a common "letter" in English for quite some time. Instead of referring back to the original Latin, when ampersands fell out of use "&c." turned into "etc.".
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Plus, "etcetera" (with no blank) is a common (since 1597) English spelling. Commented Apr 9, 2015 at 2:14