Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 16:45:08 -0400

From: Gregory {Greg} Downing downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]IS2.NYU.EDU

Subject: Re: ounce(s)



Jesse S. is right of course -- and OED2 will give you a bit more information

on how the abbreviation came into existence in Italian copyists' practice,

and how it was written in 16/17C English texts (with a z extending below the

base of the line, and connected to the o by a ligature). There's also a

reference to Cappelli's 1899 Dizionario di Abbreviature.



Greg Downing/NYU, at greg.downing[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]nyu.edu or downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]is2.nyu.edu