et cetera

Where does the word "et cetera" come from? It comes from Latin et cetera, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

Et cetera’s story begins in Latin: et cetera meant “and the rest.” And the rest, from et (and) and cetera (the remaining things). It reached English by 1400s as et cetera. Latin 'and the rest'; the ampersand '&' began as a ligature of 'et'. Today, et cetera means and other similar things not mentioned, used to shorten a list.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient et cetera "and the rest", and the rest, from et (and) and cetera (the remaining things).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1400s et cetera "and other similar things", Latin 'and the rest'; the ampersand '&' began as a ligature of 'et'.