Part of an ongoing series inspired by the roots of modern communications. Ampersand is a corruption of the phrase ‘and per se and’, sometimes used as a suffix when reciting the alphabet. The symbol is formed by a ligature of the letters ‘e’ and ‘t’ from the Latin et.

Unlike many Old English characters, the Ampersand has not only survived in common usage but has also found a new lease of life in computer coding and programming languages – a pleasing evolution for this ancient and elegant symbol.