Editing Tilde (section)

===Use by medieval scribes===

The tilde was originally one of a variety of marks written over an omitted letter or several letters as a [[scribal abbreviation]] (a "mark of contraction").<ref>Martin, Charles Trice (1910). The record interpreter : a collection of abbreviations, Latin words and names used in English historical manuscripts and records (2nd ed.). London, preface, p.5 [https://archive.org/details/recordinterprete00martuoft/page/n9/mode/2up]</ref> Thus, the commonly used words ''[[Anno Domini]]'' were frequently abbreviated to ''A<sup>o</sup> Dñi'', with an elevated terminal with a contraction mark placed over the "n". Such a mark could denote the omission of one letter or several letters. This saved on the expense of the scribe's labor and the cost of vellum and ink. Medieval European charters written in Latin are largely made up of such abbreviated words with contraction marks and other abbreviations; only uncommon words were given in full.

The text of the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086, relating for example, to the [[manor of Molland]] in [[Devon]] (see adjacent picture), is highly [[Scribal abbreviation|abbreviated]] as indicated by numerous tildes.

[[File:Text of Exeter Domesday Book of 1086.jpg|center|thumb|upright=1.35|Text of Exeter [[Domesday Book]] of 1086]]

The text with abbreviations expanded is as follows:
{{blockquote|{{lang|la|Mollande tempore regis Eduardi geldabat pro quattuor hidis et uno ferling. Terra est quadraginta carucae. In dominio sunt tres carucae et decem servi et triginta villani et viginti bordarii cum sedecim carucis. Ibi duodecim acrae prati et quindecim acrae silvae. Pastura tres leugae in longitudine et latitudine. Reddit<!-- This is a real Latin word, meaning "it yields"; please do not "correct" it. --> quattuor et viginti libras ad pensam. Huic manerio est adjuncta Blachepole. Elwardus tenebat tempore regis Edwardi pro manerio et geldabat pro dimidia hida. Terra est duae carucae. Ibi sunt quinque villani cum uno servo. Valet viginti solidos ad pensam et arsuram. Eidem manerio est injuste adjuncta Nimete et valet quindecim solidos. Ipsi manerio pertinet tercius denarius de Hundredis Nortmoltone et Badentone et Brantone et tercium animal pasturae morarum.}}}}

:{{resize|Translation: ''In the time of King Edward Mollande gelded for four hides and one ferling. The land is forty [[carucate]]s. In the domain there are three barons and ten serfs and thirty peasants and twenty bordars with sixteen barons. There are twelve acres of meadow and fifteen acres of wood. A pasture three leagues in length and breadth. It should weigh four and twenty pounds. Blachepole is attached to this manor. Elward held it in the time of King Edward for a manor and gelded for half a hide. The earth is two carucas. There are five peasants with one servant. It is worth twenty shillings for weighing and burning. The same manor is unjustly attached to Nimes and is worth fifteen shillings. To the manor belongs a third of the penny of the Hundred of Nortmolton and Badenton and Branton, and a third of the cattle of the pasture.''}}