Circa
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Look up circa in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
"Ca." and "Cca." redirect here. For other uses of "Ca", see
CA. For other uses of "Cca", see
CCA.
Circa (from Latin, meaning "around, about"), usually abbreviated c., ca or ca. (also circ. or cca.), means "approximately" in several European languages including English, usually in reference to a date.[1] Circa is widely used in genealogy and historical writing when the dates of events are not accurately known. When used in date ranges, circa is applied before each approximate date, while dates without circa immediately preceding them are generally assumed to be known with certainty.
For example:
- 1732–1799 or 1732–99: both years are known precisely.
- c. 1732 – 1799: only the end year is known accurately; the start year is approximate.
- 1732 – c. 1799: only the start year is known accurately; the end year is approximate.
- c. 1732 – c. 1799: both years are approximate.
See also
References
External links
- The dictionary definition of circa at Wiktionary
Media related to Circa at Wikimedia Commons
