viz.

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adv
  1. Videlicet: namely, to wit, that is to say, specifically, as an illustration.

Pronunciation

/vɪz/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-viz..wav

Word forms

viz. vid. videl.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin viꝫ, from Latin vidēlicet (“that is to say, namely”), short for vidēre licet (“it is permitted to see”, literally “to-look (it) allows”). The ‘z’ comes from the similarity between ꝫ (‘et’) and the cursive form of the letter z, with the former having originated as a common abbreviation (specifically, a Tironian note), used by Latin scribes in the Middle Ages, for the suffix -et (among others). Compare ⁊ (‘et’), the Tironian symbol for the Latin word et (“and”) and for its equivalents in other European languages (including Old English and) in medieval times.

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