A. Abbreviat. A, in the Julian calendar, is the first of the seven DOMINICAL letters. It had been in use among the Romans long before the establishment of Christianity, as the first of the eight nundinales litteræ; in imitation whereof it was that the dominical letters were first introduced.
A is also an abbreviation used with different intentions. Hence,
A, among logicians, is used to denote an universal affirmative proposition; according to the verse,
Afferat A, negat E, verum generaliter ambue.
Thus, in the first figure, a syllogism consisting of three universal affirmative propositions, is said to be in Bār-bā-rā; the A thrice repeated, denoting so many of the propositions to be universal, &c. See BARBARA.
A, among the Romans, was used in giving votes or suffrages.—When a new law was proposed, each voter had two wooden ballots put into his hand; the one marked with a capital A, signifying antiquo, q. d. antiquam volo; and the other with U. R. for ut rogas. Such as were against the law, cast the first into the urn; signifying, I refuse it, I antequam it; or, I like the ancient law, and desire no innovation.
A, in the trials of criminal causes, also denoted absolution: Whence Cicero, pro Milone, calls A, littera salutaris, a saving letter.—Three ballots were distributed to each judge, marked with the letters, A for absolvo, I acquit; C for condemno, I condemn; and N. L. for non liquet, It is not clear. From the number of each cast into the urn, the praetor pronounced the prisoner's fate. If they were equal in number, he was absolved.
A, in the ancient inscriptions of marbles, &c. occasionally stands for Augustus, ager, aunt, &c. When double it denotes Augusti; when triple aurum, argentum, &c.; and sometimes its meaning can only be known by the rest of the inscription. Hildore adds, that when it occurs after the word miles, (soldier), it denotes him young. On the reverse of ancient medals, it denotes that they were struck by the city of Argos, sometimes by that of Athens; but on coins of modern date, it is the mark of Paris.
A, as an abbreviation, is also often found in modern writers; as A. D. for anno Domini; A. M. artium magister, master of arts; anno mundi, &c.
A
A, the letter a, with a line above it, thus , is used in medical prescriptions for ana, of each; sometimes it is written thus, : e. g. R. Mel. Sacchar. et Mann. , vel , . i. e. Take of honey, sugar, and manna, of each, one ounce.
A, put to bills of exchange, is in England an abbreviation of accepted, and in France for accepté. It is likewise usual among merchants to mark their sets of books with the letters A, B, C, &c. instead of the numbers 1, 2, 3, &c.
A.A.A. The chemical abbreviation for Amalgama, or Amalgamation.
AA, the name of several rivers in Germany and Switzerland.