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Explanation of terms used
Some of the important characteristics of dictionaries are brevity,
clarity and separation of confounding parts. This website aims to
express similiar properties, but the shortened blazons, terms and
abbreviations used might be confusing for readers unfamiliar to them. The
files below might help to explain difficulties.
Most blazons will be of dictionary type with separation of colours and
charges. The colours of the field are invariably given first - or as an X,
if the field is multicoloured with the component colours placed last.
E.g.:
Per pale
argent and
gules a lion vert within a border
sable
=
XVS-AG; per pale & lion & border
Azure, on a
bend argent a mullet gules and 2 martlets
gules betw. 3 cinquefoils
or
=
BAGO;
bend ch. mullet and 2 martlets betw 3 cinquefoils [mullet betw. the
martlets]
- numbering of items, 74 KB
- The items on a manuscript page are numbered as texts are normally read,
by row and from left to right. This is followed in (nearly) all cases,
where the arms are presented in the most common tabular form or as close
as possible for arms in miniatures. A few manuscripts pages might
contain arms grouped around a central feature or in courtoisie. In
such cases a different standard numeration is used (as vizualized).
In exeptional cases, where the analysis has showed that the
scribe-painters has used a different approach, numeration by column
might be used, if stated in the notes to the armorial. If the
artist used 'long lines' across double pages, the items on each page
will follow standard numeration.
- the parts of the field, 191 KB
- There might be important differences in how authors enumerate parts of
the field and the sequence of field and figures. French authors tend to
give the principal figure at first, and to use per chief rather
than coupé. In the Ordinary, a strict priority of field
before figure, and the field divided with priority along chief and
dexter side of the shield. Per chief is preferred to per fess.
- abbreviations in blazon, 28 KB
- A few abbreviations used in blazon, apart from the obvious
A/Ar,
O/Or,
G/Gu, B/Az, S/Sa, V/Vt, Z/Vr, E/Er and X for mixed colours, e.g. in
borders compony, fields checky or party.
- list of sigla for armorials, 86 KB
- Each armorial are identified with a unique 3-letter code, exept for English armorials,
for which the traditional nomenclature is used, as introduced by the late Sir Anthony Wagner, Garter King of Arms,
in CEMRA (Catalogue of English Medieval Rolls of Arms, 1950), and generally used, e.g. in
Dictionary of British Arms. Unique 3-letter sigla are available for English armorials as well.
- abbreviations of marches d'armes, counties and other territories, 36 KB
- 3-5 letter codes modified from Raneke 1975.
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