incunabulum

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The Word of the Day for July 30 is:

incunabulum   \in-kyuh-NAB-yuh-lum\   noun
    *1 : a book printed before 1501
     2 : a work of art or of industry of an early period

Example sentence:
      Among the library?s archives is a collection of exquisite incunabula.

Did you know?
     The invention of the mechanized printing press in the 15th century 
revolutionized the way books were produced, dramatically increasing the number 
and variety of works to be published and distributed to awaiting readers. 
"Incunabulum" first appeared in English in the 19th century, referring 
retroactively to those books produced in the first decades of printing press 
technology, specifically those printed before the year 1501, a date that 
appears to have been determined only arbitrarily. Coming from Latin, 
"incunabulum" is singular of "incunabula," which translates literally to 
"swaddling clothes" or "bands holding the baby in a cradle." The "baby" in this 
case is likely a figurative one, referring to a book that was produced when the 
art of printing was still in its infancy. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.





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