incunabula

American  

[in-kyoo-nab-yuh-luh, ing-] / ˌɪn kyʊˈnæb yə lə, ˌɪŋ- /

plural noun

singular

incunabulum

1. extant copies of books produced in the earliest stages (before 1501) of printing from movable type.

2. the earliest stages or first traces of anything.

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incunabula British  

/ ˌɪnkjʊˈnæbjʊlə /

plural noun

1. any book printed before 1501

2. the infancy or earliest stages of something; beginnings

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Other Word Forms

• incunabular adjective
• postincunabula adjective

Etymology

Origin of incunabula

First recorded in 1815–25; from Latin: “straps holding a baby in a cradle, earliest home, birthplace,” probably equivalent to unattested *incūnā(re) “to place in a cradle” ( in- in- ² + unattested -cūnāre, verbal derivative of cūnae “cradle”) + -bula, plural of -bulum suffix of instrument; incunabula def. 1 as translation of German Wiegendrucke

Example Sentences

“I know what incunabula are,” I said testily.

From Washington Post • Sep. 17, 2017

Collectors’ interest will be piqued by the incunabula – books printed before 1501 – which is described as one of the most important collections ever assembled.

From The Guardian • Jun. 3, 2017

But too often Mr. Foy’s prose is portentous and clumsy: “The incunabula of travel and boat repair swirl in my brain.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2016

The exhibition’s “reimagining” of the research library is meant to lure visitors who may not be drawn to 15th-century incunabula.

From New York Times • Dec. 20, 2013

The cases also contained a variety of popular chess books and some incunabula printed in German.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady