fleuron

[prettygoodword]

fleuron (FLUR-on, FLOO-ron) - n., a flower-shaped ornament, especially one used on buildings, coins, books, typography, and pastry.


The typographic fleuron being ❀ or ❧ or similar horticultural dingbats (that second also being called an aldus leaf, thus showing that some fleurons are not flowers). Adopted from French twice, first as Anglo-Norman flouroun, then in the 14th century as now, both ultimately from Old French floron, equivalent to flor, flower + -on, noun suffix -- so, flower-thing, I guess?

---L.

Comments

[thistleingrey.livejournal.com]

"Aldus" is new to me--I'm used to calling it hedera. Cool.

A few University of California Press books use an oak leaf as a section divider in some kind of West Coast US phthbbt at the establishment (I guess). Live oak, of course.

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

I almost mentioned hedera (leaf) as well. And I remember seeing that oak leaf.

---L.