1.
Ampersand
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The ampersand is the logogram &, representing the conjunction word and. It originated as a ligature of the et, Latin for. The word ampersand is a corruption of the phrase and per se &, meaning and intrinsically the word, traditionally, when reciting the alphabet in English-speaking schools, any letter that could also be used as a word in itself was repeated with the Latin expression per se. This habit was useful in spelling where a word or syllable was repeated after spelling, e. g. d, o, g—dog would be clear but simply saying a—a would be confusing without the clarifying per se added. It was also common practice to add the & sign at the end of the alphabet as if it were the 27th letter, pronounced as the Latin et or later in English as and. As a result, the recitation of the alphabet would end in X, Y, Z and this last phrase was routinely slurred to ampersand and the term had entered common English usage by 1837. Through popular etymology, it has been claimed that André-Marie Ampère used the symbol in his widely read publications. The ampersand can be traced back to the 1st century A. D. during the following development of the Latin script that led up to the Carolingian minuscule the use of ligatures in general diminished. The et-ligature, however, continued to be used and gradually became more stylized, the modern italic type ampersand is a kind of et ligature that goes back to the cursive scripts developed during the Renaissance. After the advent of printing in Europe in 1455, printers made extensive use of both the italic and Roman ampersands, since the ampersands roots go back to Roman times, many languages that use a variation of the Latin alphabet make use of it. The ampersand often appeared as a letter at the end of the Latin alphabet, similarly, & was regarded as the 27th letter of the English alphabet, as used by children. An example may be seen in M. B, moores 1863 book The Dixie Primer, for the Little Folks. The popular Apple Pie ABC finishes with the lines X, Y, Z, the ampersand should not be confused with the Tironian et, which is a symbol similar to the numeral 7. Both symbols have their roots in the antiquity, and both signs were used up through the Middle Ages as a representation for the Latin word et. However, while the ampersand was in origin a common ligature in the everyday script, the Tironian et is found in old Irish language script, a Latin-based script generally only used for decorative purposes today, where it signifies agus in Irish. This symbol may have entered the language by way of monastic influence in the time of the early Christian church in Ireland. In everyday handwriting, the ampersand is sometimes simplified in design as a large lowercase epsilon or a backwards numeral 3 superimposed by a vertical line. The ampersand is also shown as a backwards 3 with a vertical line above and below it or a dot above
2.
& (Ayumi Hamasaki EP)
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& is an extended play by Japanese recording artist and songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on 9 July 2003, by record label Avex Trax, Hamasakis fourth extended play, & consists of four recordings, Ourselves, Greatful Days, Hanabi, Episode II, and Theme of A-Nation 03, with three additional instrumentals of the first three tracks. It was released in two different formats, a stand-alone CD, and a digital EP, the artwork for the EP depicts Hamasaki posing in front of a cloudy backdrop, with the title of the work superimposed over her hair. & contains predominantly J-pop and dance music, Hamasaki contributed by writing the lyrics to all the tracks, while Japanese production and manager Max Matsuura served as the EPs main producer. & received favourable reviews from critics who commended the EPs production. & reached number one on the Oricon Singles Chart, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for shipments of 500,000 units. Ourselves, Greatful Days, Hanabi, Episode II, and Theme of A-Nation 03 served as singles, while all. The artwork for the EP depicts Hamasaki posing in front of a cloudy backdrop, & opens with the first track, Ourselves, which is an R&B tune with influences of exoticism pop. The lyrics describe Hamasakis painful sense of sorrow and love, Greatful Days is a refreshing pop song that showcases Hamasakis festive nature, her pastel vocals, and a relaxing positive message of happiness. Hanabi, Episode II is a song to Hamasakis 2002 song. It describes Hamasakis miserable state and struggle that is transformed into strength, Theme of A-Nation 03 was used for the Avex A-Nation concert tour in 2003, and emphasizes traditional Japanese instrumentals, progressing more oriental J-pop sounds. The next three tracks are versions of Ourselves, Greatful Days, and Hanabi, Episode II. Ourselves, Greatful Days, and Hanabi, Episode II all served as the EPs promotional singles, released on 9 July 2003, all three songs featured an accompanying music video, which were included on several DVD compilations by Hamasaki. & received favourable reviews from music critics. A reviewer from CD Journal commended the EPs production, and highlighted all the singles as stand out tracks, kondo Yang from Listen Japan was positive in his review, stating that & was a sign of growing maturity in Hamasakis music. He also felt that her charisma and personality was a reason why & became successful, eri Kato from Hot Express was positive in her review, commending Hamasakis songwriting and composing skills, particularly with Hanabi, Episode II, and the music arrangements. On the Japanese Oricon Singles Chart, & reached number ones on its week, her third consecutive EP to have reached number one. The EP lasted sixteen weeks in the top 100, selling 591,000 units, and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for shipments of 500,000 units. & is Hamasakis final single to sell over 500,000 units, full lyrics at MetroLyrics, Ourselves, Greatful days, Hanabi, Episode II, Theme of A-Nation 03
3.
& (The Moth & The Flame EP)
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⅋, sometimes written Ampersand, is an EP and the debut major label recording by rock group The Moth & The Flame, released digitally on November 5,2013 internationally. It was produced by drummer/producer Joey Waronker and mixed by Peter Katis, all songs were written by The Moth & The Flame. To promote the EP, The Moth & the Flame toured Europe supporting Imagine Dragons during the fall, the Sorry music video premiered on mtvU on Friday November 22,2013. It features actor Kirby Heyborne and depicts a family of mannequins facing an atomic bomb detonation, Sorry received airtime on BBC Radio 1, Xfm, KROQ, KCRW, and other taste-making stations. It reached #1 on the KROQ Locals Only Playlist, Sorry featured as BBC Radio 1s Zane Lowes Next Hype. Track How We Woke Up appears in Skinwalker Ranch, track Sorry featured on NFL on CBS in November 2013. The Moth & The Flame official site
