View source for Nota Bene

'''Nota bene''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|oʊ|t|ə|_|ˈ|b|ɛ|n|eɪ}}, {{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|oʊ|t|ə|_|ˈ|b|ɛ|n|i}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|oʊ|t|ə|_|ˈ|b|iː|n|i}}; plural form '''notate bene''') is a [[Latin]] phrase which first appeared in [[English writing style|English writing]] {{circa|1711}}.

Often abbreviated as '''NB''', '''n.b.''', or with the typographic ligature, the phrase is [[Latin]] for "note well" and comes from the Latin roots {{lang|la|notāre}} ("to note") and {{lang|la|bene}} ("well"). It is in the singular imperative grammatical mood, instructing one individual to note well the matter at hand, i.e., to take notice of or pay special attention to it. In [[Modern English]], it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the attention of the reader to a certain (side) aspect or detail of the subject being addressed. While ''NB'' is also often used in academic writing, ''note'' is a common substitute.

The markings used to draw readers' attention in medieval manuscripts are also called ''nota bene'' marks. The common medieval markings do not, however, include the abbreviation ''NB''. The usual medieval equivalents are anagrams from the four letters in the word ''nota'', the abbreviation '''DM''' from ''{{lang|la|dignum memoria}}'' ("worth remembering"), or a [[Index (typography)|symbol of a little hand]] (☞), called a manicule or index, with the index finger pointing towards the beginning of the significant passage. [Raymond Clemens and Timothy Graham, Introduction to Manuscript Studies (Ithaca: [[Cornell University Press]], 2007), p. 44.]


[[category:Latin Abbreviations]]
[[category:Latin]]
[[category:Foote Family Papers]]