Note 39 — CONTRACTIONS
Reading edition
To justify the use in ordinary printing of these symbols (as against the use of 4o, 8o, 12o, a prevailing French fashion which is preferred by some writers), it may suffice to say that the ablative cases of the ordinal numbers quartus, octavus, duodecimus, namely quarto, octavo, duodecimo, are according to popular usage represented by the forms or symbols 4to, 8vo, 12mo; just as by the same usage we print 1st and 2nd as forms or symbols of the English words first and second.—H. H.