Early English Church Music
Hosted by Trinity College Dublin
© The British Academy
General Abbreviations and Symbols
| A | alto |
| AC | alto cantoris |
| AD | alto decani |
| Ag | Agnus Dei |
| Anon. | anonymous |
| arr. | arranged for |
| attr. | attributed to |
| b. | born |
| B | bass, bassus |
| BC | bass cantoris |
| BD | bass decani |
| Be | Benedicite |
| Bs | Benedictus |
| c. | circa, about |
| C | cantus |
| Ca | Cantate Domino |
| cent. | century, centuries |
| CF | cantus firmus |
| Ch | choirbook |
| Cr | Creed, Credo |
| Ct | contratenor |
| CtC | contratenor cantoris |
| CtD | contratenor decani |
| d. | died |
| D | discantus |
| De | Deus misereatur |
| ed. | editor |
| edn | edition |
| Ep | endpapers |
| ex(s) | extract(s) |
| f | full |
| fl. | floruit, flourished |
| fn(s) | footnote(s) |
| fr(s) | fragment(s) |
| (F) | foreign |
| FB | figured bass |
| G | Gloria |
| imp. | imperfect |
| inc. | incomplete |
| J | Jubilate |
| K | Kyrie (vernacular text) |
| K | keyboard arrangement (of Latin work) |
| Ky | Kyrie (Mass text) |
| L | lute arrangement |
| M | medius |
| Ma | Magnificat |
| MC | medius cantoris |
| MD | medius decani |
| metr. | metrical |
| misc. | miscellaneous |
| MS(S) | manuscript(s) |
| N | Nunc dimittis |
| n.d. | no date |
| no(s) | number(s) |
| O | organ |
| Off | Offertory |
| p | page |
| pl. | plural |
| Ps. | psalm |
| Pt. | part |
| Q | quintus |
| q.v. | quo vide, which see |
| repr. | reprinted |
| rev. | revised |
| s | solo or ensemble of solo voices with instrumental accompaniment |
| S | superius |
| S(S). | saint(s) |
| Sa | Sanctus |
| S&H | Sternhold and Hopkins |
| Sc | score |
| Sx | sextus |
| T | tenor |
| Ta | table book (all parts of a work being contained on the facing pages of an opening) |
| TC | tenor cantoris |
| TD | tenor decani |
| Te | Te Deum |
| temp. | in the time of |
| Tr | treble, triplex |
| trn | transcription |
| Tx | triplex |
| u | unfoliated or unpaginated |
| V | Venite |
| v | verse; verso (of a folio or page) |
| V. | verse (e.g. in Alleluia settings) |
| v(v). | verse(s) (e.g. in hymns) |
| * | principal source for clefs |
| + | plus |
| +4th | a 4th higher than principal source |
| – | lacking |
| -4th | a 4th lower than principal source |
| C1 | clef: C clef on the lowest line of the stave; thus also C2 (C clef on the second line), C3, C4, C5 |
| F3 | F clef on the middle line of the stace; thus also F4, F5 |
| G1 | G clef on the lowest line of the stave; thus also G2 |
| 1545 | The King's Primer, 1545 |
| 1549 | The Psalter of David (Crowley), 1549 |
| 16C | 16th century |