The ampersand (&) was made by combining the letters ‘e’ and ‘t.’
This is because the word ‘et’ is Latin for “and.” The word ampersand comes from the phrase “and per se and,” which literally meant “(the character) and by itself (is the word) and.” This symbol has been in use since the time of the Romans, with the earliest example having been found on a piece of papyrus from around 45 A.D.!
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