Use of degree symbol for Latinate ordinal number shorthand

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I remember often having professors in college use degree symbols to write shorthand versions of Latinate ordinal numbers.



For example:



1° Primary
2° Secondary
3° Tertiary
4° Quaternary


I have a few questions regarding this shorthand approach:



  1. Does this approach have a name?


  2. What is the origin of this approach?


  3. Is it simply a shorthand developed by professors or is it
    more widely used?


I thought I'd gain insight by exploring the use of superscript primes in the sciences, but I didn't find answers to my questions via that rabbit hole adventure...






history abbreviations numbers ordinals







share|improve this question























  • Maybe the o up there is actually part of the word represented. 1° is "primo", 2° is "secundo", etc.
    – GEdgar
    4 hours ago










  • Something along the lines perhaps of the old-fashioned paper sizing: 4vo quarto, 8vo octavo, &c.?
    – Deonyi
    4 hours ago
















up vote
3
down vote

favorite












I remember often having professors in college use degree symbols to write shorthand versions of Latinate ordinal numbers.



For example:



1° Primary
2° Secondary
3° Tertiary
4° Quaternary


I have a few questions regarding this shorthand approach:



  1. Does this approach have a name?


  2. What is the origin of this approach?


  3. Is it simply a shorthand developed by professors or is it
    more widely used?


I thought I'd gain insight by exploring the use of superscript primes in the sciences, but I didn't find answers to my questions via that rabbit hole adventure...






history abbreviations numbers ordinals







share|improve this question























  • Maybe the o up there is actually part of the word represented. 1° is "primo", 2° is "secundo", etc.
    – GEdgar
    4 hours ago










  • Something along the lines perhaps of the old-fashioned paper sizing: 4vo quarto, 8vo octavo, &c.?
    – Deonyi
    4 hours ago












up vote
3
down vote

favorite









up vote
3
down vote

favorite











I remember often having professors in college use degree symbols to write shorthand versions of Latinate ordinal numbers.



For example:



1° Primary
2° Secondary
3° Tertiary
4° Quaternary


I have a few questions regarding this shorthand approach:



  1. Does this approach have a name?


  2. What is the origin of this approach?


  3. Is it simply a shorthand developed by professors or is it
    more widely used?


I thought I'd gain insight by exploring the use of superscript primes in the sciences, but I didn't find answers to my questions via that rabbit hole adventure...






history abbreviations numbers ordinals







share|improve this question















I remember often having professors in college use degree symbols to write shorthand versions of Latinate ordinal numbers.



For example:



1° Primary
2° Secondary
3° Tertiary
4° Quaternary


I have a few questions regarding this shorthand approach:



  1. Does this approach have a name?


  2. What is the origin of this approach?


  3. Is it simply a shorthand developed by professors or is it
    more widely used?


I thought I'd gain insight by exploring the use of superscript primes in the sciences, but I didn't find answers to my questions via that rabbit hole adventure...






history abbreviations numbers ordinals




history abbreviations numbers ordinals






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 4 hours ago

























asked 4 hours ago









theforestecologist

290112




290112











  • Maybe the o up there is actually part of the word represented. 1° is "primo", 2° is "secundo", etc.
    – GEdgar
    4 hours ago










  • Something along the lines perhaps of the old-fashioned paper sizing: 4vo quarto, 8vo octavo, &c.?
    – Deonyi
    4 hours ago
















  • Maybe the o up there is actually part of the word represented. 1° is "primo", 2° is "secundo", etc.
    – GEdgar
    4 hours ago










  • Something along the lines perhaps of the old-fashioned paper sizing: 4vo quarto, 8vo octavo, &c.?
    – Deonyi
    4 hours ago















Maybe the o up there is actually part of the word represented. 1° is "primo", 2° is "secundo", etc.
– GEdgar
4 hours ago




Maybe the o up there is actually part of the word represented. 1° is "primo", 2° is "secundo", etc.
– GEdgar
4 hours ago












Something along the lines perhaps of the old-fashioned paper sizing: 4vo quarto, 8vo octavo, &c.?
– Deonyi
4 hours ago




Something along the lines perhaps of the old-fashioned paper sizing: 4vo quarto, 8vo octavo, &c.?
– Deonyi
4 hours ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
4
down vote



accepted










This is an ordinal indicator.




In written languages, an ordinal indicator is a character, or group of characters, following a numeral denoting that it is an ordinal number, rather than a cardinal number.




Wikipedia



Wikipedia further states. regarding its origin :




The practice of indicating ordinals with superscript suffixes may originate with the practice of writing a superscript o to indicate a Latin ablative in pre-modern scribal practice.




The word 'ordinal' distinguishes it from the usual way of writing numbers which is 'cardinal'.




Cardinal number n. (Arith.): a number which answers the question ‘how many?’; one of the primitive or ‘natural’ numbers




OED




Ordinal Marking position in an order or series; applied to those numbers which refer something to a certain place in a series




OED






share|improve this answer


















  • 1




    I wasn't actually expecting such a simple or straightforward answer given how little turned up with a Google search. This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks, Nigel!
    – theforestecologist
    4 hours ago











  • You're welcome.
    – Nigel J
    4 hours ago










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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes








up vote
4
down vote



accepted










This is an ordinal indicator.




In written languages, an ordinal indicator is a character, or group of characters, following a numeral denoting that it is an ordinal number, rather than a cardinal number.




Wikipedia



Wikipedia further states. regarding its origin :




The practice of indicating ordinals with superscript suffixes may originate with the practice of writing a superscript o to indicate a Latin ablative in pre-modern scribal practice.




The word 'ordinal' distinguishes it from the usual way of writing numbers which is 'cardinal'.




Cardinal number n. (Arith.): a number which answers the question ‘how many?’; one of the primitive or ‘natural’ numbers




OED




Ordinal Marking position in an order or series; applied to those numbers which refer something to a certain place in a series




OED






share|improve this answer


















  • 1




    I wasn't actually expecting such a simple or straightforward answer given how little turned up with a Google search. This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks, Nigel!
    – theforestecologist
    4 hours ago











  • You're welcome.
    – Nigel J
    4 hours ago














up vote
4
down vote



accepted










This is an ordinal indicator.




In written languages, an ordinal indicator is a character, or group of characters, following a numeral denoting that it is an ordinal number, rather than a cardinal number.




Wikipedia



Wikipedia further states. regarding its origin :




The practice of indicating ordinals with superscript suffixes may originate with the practice of writing a superscript o to indicate a Latin ablative in pre-modern scribal practice.




The word 'ordinal' distinguishes it from the usual way of writing numbers which is 'cardinal'.




Cardinal number n. (Arith.): a number which answers the question ‘how many?’; one of the primitive or ‘natural’ numbers




OED




Ordinal Marking position in an order or series; applied to those numbers which refer something to a certain place in a series




OED






share|improve this answer


















  • 1




    I wasn't actually expecting such a simple or straightforward answer given how little turned up with a Google search. This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks, Nigel!
    – theforestecologist
    4 hours ago











  • You're welcome.
    – Nigel J
    4 hours ago












up vote
4
down vote



accepted







up vote
4
down vote



accepted






This is an ordinal indicator.




In written languages, an ordinal indicator is a character, or group of characters, following a numeral denoting that it is an ordinal number, rather than a cardinal number.




Wikipedia



Wikipedia further states. regarding its origin :




The practice of indicating ordinals with superscript suffixes may originate with the practice of writing a superscript o to indicate a Latin ablative in pre-modern scribal practice.




The word 'ordinal' distinguishes it from the usual way of writing numbers which is 'cardinal'.




Cardinal number n. (Arith.): a number which answers the question ‘how many?’; one of the primitive or ‘natural’ numbers




OED




Ordinal Marking position in an order or series; applied to those numbers which refer something to a certain place in a series




OED






share|improve this answer














This is an ordinal indicator.




In written languages, an ordinal indicator is a character, or group of characters, following a numeral denoting that it is an ordinal number, rather than a cardinal number.




Wikipedia



Wikipedia further states. regarding its origin :




The practice of indicating ordinals with superscript suffixes may originate with the practice of writing a superscript o to indicate a Latin ablative in pre-modern scribal practice.




The word 'ordinal' distinguishes it from the usual way of writing numbers which is 'cardinal'.




Cardinal number n. (Arith.): a number which answers the question ‘how many?’; one of the primitive or ‘natural’ numbers




OED




Ordinal Marking position in an order or series; applied to those numbers which refer something to a certain place in a series




OED







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 4 hours ago

























answered 4 hours ago









Nigel J

16.4k93976




16.4k93976







  • 1




    I wasn't actually expecting such a simple or straightforward answer given how little turned up with a Google search. This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks, Nigel!
    – theforestecologist
    4 hours ago











  • You're welcome.
    – Nigel J
    4 hours ago












  • 1




    I wasn't actually expecting such a simple or straightforward answer given how little turned up with a Google search. This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks, Nigel!
    – theforestecologist
    4 hours ago











  • You're welcome.
    – Nigel J
    4 hours ago







1




1




I wasn't actually expecting such a simple or straightforward answer given how little turned up with a Google search. This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks, Nigel!
– theforestecologist
4 hours ago





I wasn't actually expecting such a simple or straightforward answer given how little turned up with a Google search. This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks, Nigel!
– theforestecologist
4 hours ago













You're welcome.
– Nigel J
4 hours ago




You're welcome.
– Nigel J
4 hours ago

















 

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