An archaic or specialized term for an abbreviation or shortened form of something, particularly in medieval manuscripts.
From Latin 'abbreviatura,' a medieval term for abbreviated writing or shorthand marks used by scribes in manuscripts. This Latin form entered English in scholarly circles.
Medieval manuscripts are full of 'abbreviatures'—tiny marks and squiggles that scribes used as shortcuts—and studying them is like decoding an ancient text-speak system that saved them months of writing time on expensive parchment.
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