Abbreviation - "curt."

[LesleyB]

Hi all
I understand the abbreviation “ult.” Latin “ultimo,” or last, meaning a date last month and the abbreviation “inst.” meaning within the same month. But I’m puzzled by an abbreviation : curt. –see image of page from the Edinburgh Advertiser for examples:

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-704

Just before you read further, I love the "Those who are fond of lively intelligence"… etc. piece of 1796 humour! You can‘t help feeling the editor would feel right at home here on TS!

OK, check out the BRANDY ad: Tues the 27th curt. at 12 o’clock noon

The curt. abbreviation also appears in the article above concerning the “Edinburgh & Glasgow canal”
Can it be from the Latin Curtus: cut short, mutilated? If reading it a different way, does it mean at 12 o’clock sharp? So the origin could in that case be Latin Curtus…

If so, I seem to have come across a similar abbreviation in a OPR birth which doesn’t make sense in that context at all:

• 1794 Fearn, Easter Ross
  Ross & Duff
  May 19th Y[squiggle - could stand for "this year"? or similar? several on page] Wm Ross Tenant on Hill of Geanies had by his spouse Jannet Duff a child baptised named Katharine. The child was born the 14th( [what looks like it could be] curt. (though could be curr.[ent], yet inst,. is used on the page too...? - will scan and upload this page is anyone is sufficiently interested to see it in context with handwriting style & etc)

In this context I thought it may mean current – meaning the current month so usage would be much the same as inst - but in which case it would seem there may be a subtle difference betwen curr/curt. and inst.

Can anyone elucidate?

Best wishes
Lesley

[sporran]

Hello Lesley,


my treasured New Gresham Dictionary of 1930 has a section "Abbreviations and contractions, commonly used in writing and printing", where cur. or curt. is defined as "current; this month".


Regards,

John

[LesleyB]

Hi John
Relieved to see your answer was a lot shorter than my question!
Sounds a reasonable conclusion. Thanks.

Best wishes
Lesley

[Davie]

Relieved to see your answer was a lot shorter than my question!

Hi Lesley,
I thought John's post was a tres curt masel.
And ah wid elucidate anaw, if ah knew whit it meant.
However, loved the page from the Courier.
These wee papers and magazines are terrific for lettin' us know a bit of what was going on in our country in the nineteenth century.
Among of the other junk I collect, are these rags.
I have the full run of The Glasgow Baillie from 1872-73
It has great wee caricatures of the dignitaries of the day.
I have put one in the Gallery of a Councilor Torrens.
Not very clear I’m afraid.
But can anyone guess his political viewpoint?
Davie