incunabulum

incunabulum
\ \ [19] An incunabulum is a book printed before 1501. But etymologically the word has nothing to do with books. It comes from the Latin plural noun incūnābula, which had a range of meanings, including ‘swaddling clothes’, ‘cradle’, and ‘infancy’, which point back to its original source, Latin cūnaecradle’.
\ \ Nineteenth-century antiquarians and bibliographers applied the term to early printed books since they represented the ‘infancy’ of book production.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Incunabulum — In cu*nab u*lum, n.; pl. {Incunabula}. [L. incunabula cradle, birthplace, origin. See 1st {In }, and {Cunabula}.] A work of art or of human industry, of an early epoch; especially, a book printed before a. d. 1500. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • incunabulum — (n.) 1861, singular of INCUNABULA (Cf. incunabula); taken up (originally in German) as a word for any book printed late 15c., in the infancy of the printer s art …   Etymology dictionary

  • Incunabulum — An incunabulum is a book, single sheet, or image that was printed mdash; not handwritten mdash; before the year 1501 in Europe. The origin of the word is the Latin incunabula for swaddling clothes , used by extension for the infancy or early… …   Wikipedia

  • incunabulum — n.; pl. ula [L. incunabulum, cradle] (ARTHROPODA: Insecta) A cocoon …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • incunabulum — in·cu·nab·u·lum (ĭn kyə năbʹyə ləm, ĭng ) n. pl. in·cu·nab·u·la ( lə) 1. A book printed before 1501; an incunable. 2. An artifact of an early period.   [New Latin incūnābulum, from sing. of Latin incūnābula, swaddling clothes, cradle : in , in;… …   Universalium

  • incunabulum — noun /ˌɪn.kjʊˈnæb.jʊ.ləm/ A book, single sheet, or image that was printed not handwritten before the year 1501 in Europe. Something about him reminded me of one of those figures from old fashioned playing cards or the sort used by fortune tellers …   Wiktionary

  • incunabulum — [19] An incunabulum is a book printed before 1501. But etymologically the word has nothing to do with books. It comes from the Latin plural noun incūnābula, which had a range of meanings, including ‘swaddling clothes’, ‘cradle’, and ‘infancy’,… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • Incunabulum (disambiguation) — An incunabulum is a a book, single sheet, or image that was printed not handwritten before the year 1501 in Europe.Incunabulum or incunabula may also refer to:* Incunabula (album) * Incunabula (computer game) * Incunabula (publisher) * Incunabula …   Wikipedia

  • incunabulum — noun (plural incunabula) Etymology: New Latin, from Latin incunabula, plural, bands holding the baby in a cradle, from in + cunae cradle Date: 1849 1. a book printed before 1501 2. a work of art or of industry of an early period …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Incunabulum — Term for a book printed before 1501. This word was used by 19c booksellers needing categories and descriptions for their catalogues. [< Lat. in + cuna = cradle] …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

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