Jno?

[ephraim_zook]

This is an odd place to post this odd question. On another thread "Johnny" abbreviated his name "Jno.". This, of course, is common to the period, and before. We've all seen it. But does anyone know how "John" got perverted to "Jno.", and why? Even given that writing with pen and ink was more of a chore than writing with today's Bic, was it worth eliminating one letter?

Just wondering here.

Ron Myzie

[ewtaylor]

Re: Jno?

I had always thought it was the abbreviation for Johnathan rather than John.

oh well,
everett taylor

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Jno?

To tell the truth, so did I. But then why not "Jna"? The abbreviation is still out of sequence.

Ron Myzie

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Jno?

Johnny here...
I noticed random period documents using 3 letters "Jos." for Joseph or Josiah, "Eph." for Ephraim, "Phl." for Philander, etc. as examples I've seen, but can't recollect where at exactly. I know George Washington abbreviated his name "Geo." a few time I've seen in letters that he wrote- sometimes just "G. Wash".

Another question along these lines: Why did people use an underscore under their names with ... (think "John Hancock" or any other seemingly superfluous scrollwork under people's names. I know about Hancock wanting the British to see his name, but other than that legend you get the idea.). By our modern standards, it is useless, but to them... it was a matter of pride. I guess people before the 20th Century just took time to make stuff look pretty- especially penmanship.

Which bring us back to our first question... if they took time to make their penmanship "look pretty" can't they write 3 or four extra letters?

;)- Jno. Lloyd

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Jno?

That was the writing style of the time. One of the hardest parts of researching older documents is reading their handwriting and abbreviations. It can prove very confusing.

Hints to reading Victorian-era handwriting:
Watch the double "S's." The first "S" in a pair was often written to look like a lower case "F." Double letters were often written as single letter with a line or tilde above them.

Name abbreviations usually consist of the first three or four letters plus the last letter as a superscript, as you point out. Colonial and Victorian writers were not creating records in anticipation of providing clarity to future generations. They sought only to make things understood to each other.

First letters were not always capitalized. Initials were often used as the "given name".

Depending on the script, a stroke, flourish, curl, swirl, or loop changed the appearance of the letter or word. Extra fancy additions to lettering and free use of abbreviations was perhaps a bit of one-upmanship in a world where not everybody could read. Literacy is something we now tend to take for granted.

Or it could just be personal expression. Why do people use different fonts for their word processing now? To individualize it, or give the document some "flair" for the intended reader. There is little doubt some of our jargon and abbreviations will prove confusing to researchers of our material culture in 150 years, if there is anything left of it to study.

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Jno?

Another question along these lines: Why did people use an underscore under their names with ... (think "John Hancock" or any other seemingly superfluous scrollwork under people's names. I know about Hancock wanting the British to see his name, but other than that legend you get the idea.). By our modern standards, it is useless, but to them... it was a matter of pride. I guess people before the 20th Century just took time to make stuff look pretty- especially penmanship.

I suppose it was, as our Pennsylvania Deitsch bretheren might say, "chust for nice". My own normal, very 21st century signature has a very pronounced embellishment.

Ron Myzie

[Justin Runyon]

Re: Jno?

Please, no more Hancock wanting to make his signature visable stories.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Jno?

Justin-

Yeah, I know the Hancock wanting the British to see his name thing is about a credible as the Washington throwing a silver dollar across the Rappahannock River or chopping down a cherry tree and not telling a lie. No mistaking history here- it's annoying when people uneducated about our American history/hertiage confuse that stuff with reality.

We're all here to better understand our REAL heritage and history.

;)


Thanks- Johnny "Reb"