where does the symbol & come from?

Answer 1

ukquilter is very close

It was originally a combination (called a "ligature") of e and t. But it did not stand for "et cetera". Rather it was simply a stylized version of the Latin word "et", meaning "and".

Check out the image on the right in this link to see an earlier form of the symbol, in which the E ant T are clear
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Ampersand.png/800px-Ampersand.png

(Note that English, and many European languages, have a long history of using LATIN abbreviations. That's because they were created for use in scholarly writings, which for centuries were all written in Latin. Some languages have since substituted new versions derived from their own words. But English has kept many of the Latin forms -- though when you SEE them you are supposed to simply speak the ENGLISH word(s) -- e.g. - say "for example"; i.e. "that is"; viz., "namely"; etc. "and so forth. . . . )

Answer 2

The others are correct - as a calligrapher I know it is based on an E and a t. Early typographers merged the two first letters of etcetera to make what you have typed above (imagine the E that looks like 3 reversed)

Answer 3

A 'fish' story In the years following the ascension of the resurrected Jesus to heaven, the Christian church grew speedily. Christians quickly observed themselves to be the themes of persecution through each the Romans and the Jews. In many locales, it grew to be unsafe to be referred to as a Christian. Thus, while 2 strangers met and suggestion might be they had been fellow believers, one in every of them might draw, at the floor, the higher part of the fish image. Recognizing the emblem, the stranger might upload a moment curved line and entire the drawing of a fish.

Answer 4

It's called an ampersand.

Answer 5

sumeria