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The Grecian Abacus? »#«£, or counting-board, was an ob- long frame, divided by feveral brafs wires flretched parallel to one another, and mounted with an equal number of little ivory balls, like the beads of a neckb.ce. By the arrangement of thefe halls, diftinguifhing the numbers into different claffes, and obferving the relations of the lower to the upper, all kinds of computations were eafily performed. Mahudel? in Hifl. Acad. R. Infer. T. 3. p. 390.
The Roman Abacus was much the fame with the Grecian, except that inflead of firings, or wires, and beads in the Roman, we find pins and grooves for them to Aide in. It is defcribed by feveral authors; but notwithstanding all thefe deTcriptions, we fhoukl have had a very oblcure idea of the ancient manner of reckoning, had there not been a figure of it found, among the ancient marbles. It is given by Schot- tus d , Gruter °, Velferus f , and Pignorius s.— [ d Nodor. Ciceron. 1. 1. c, 6. " Infcript. vet. p. 224. f Opp. p. 422, 819, & 842. E De Scrvis, p. 340. Fabric. Bibl. Antiq. c. to. §. 15. See the figure in Phil. Tranf. N°. 180.] The Chinefe Abacus confills, like the Grecian, of feveral feries's of beads ftrui:g on brafs wires, extended from the top to the bottom of the Inffrument, and divided in the middle by a crofs piece from fide to fide ; fo as in the upper row cadi firing has two beads, which arc each reckoned for five ; and in the lower row, each firing has five beads of different values; the firll being reckoned as 1 ; the fecond, as 10 j the third, as 100, &c. as among us h . Add, that inflead of four pins for digits, or units in the Roman Abacus? the Chinefe has five beads; which feems to argue, that this latter was intended for a duodecimal progreffion, as the Roman was for a decimal '. We have two different figures, and de- fcriptions of the Chinefe Abacus? one given by F. Marti- nius, who had lived many years in China ; the other by Dr. Hook, who copied it from a Chinefe dictionary of the court- language. — [ h V. Martin. Sinic. Hifl. Dec. 1. 1. 1, p. 27.
- Hook? inPhilof. Tranfaa. N°. 180. p. 166.]
Abacus is alfo ufed by modern writers for a table of numbers ready cafl up, to expedite the operations of arithmetic. V. Aljl. Comp. Lex. Phil. p. 3252.
In this fenfe we have Abaci of addition, of multiplication, of divifion ; an Abacus logijlicus ; Abacus of fquares, of cubes, &c.
Abacus log ijlic us is a redtangled triangle, whofe fides, form- ing the right angle, contain the numbers from 1 to 60 ; and its area, the factums of each two of the numbers perpendi- ^ cularly oppofite. This is alfo called a canon of- fexageftmals. Alft. Comp. L(;x. Phil. p. 3264.
Abacus & palmula:, in the ancient mufic, denote the machi- nery, whereby the firings of polyplectra, or inflruments of many firings, were flruck, with a plectrum, made of quills. Male. Treat, of muhek, c. 14. §. 5. p. 558.
Abacus harmonicus? is ufed by ICircher for the flructure and difpofition of the keys of a mufical inftrument, whether to be touched with the hands, or the feet. Walth. Lex. Muf. p. 1.
A B A D I R, in the Roman theology, the flone which Sa- turn fwallowcd, believing it his new-born fon Jupiter, and which at length became deified, and the object of religious worfhip. Prifcian, Infl, Grammat. I. 5. p. 125. The word is alfo written AbadcUr? Abdir? Abbadicr? Abcfira? and even Agad'ir:
The origin of the word has greatly puzzled etymologifls. The curious may confult Bochart Chanaan, 1.2- c. 2. p. 786. Baxter? GlofT. Antiq. Rom. p. 3. Mem. dc 1'Acad. des Infcript. T. 9. p. 194.. Cler'tci? Not. ad Hefiod. Theogon. v. 485. Bibl. Univ. 'I'. 21. p. 111.
ABAISSE', inHcraldry. SeeABAsED, Cycl.
AB ARCA, an antient kind of fhoe, ufed by the country peo- ple in Spain to pafs mountainous and rocky places ; being made of raw bullocks or goats hides, and bound about the feet with cords, which fecured them againfl the fnow a .— [ a Du Cang. Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 6. Aquin. T. 1. p. 3. Stcph. Span. Diet, in voc.J
Stephens mentions another fort of Abarca? made of wood, Uke the French Sabots; called Abarca's? becaufe fhaped like a boat, barca,
ABAS, a Pcrfian weight, ufed in weighing pearls ; one eighth lefs than the Elk opcan caract. Savar. Diet. Comm. T. 1. p. 1.
ABASSI, oi-Abassis, afilvercoin, current inPerfia, equi- valentto tw,nty French fob, fomewhat lefs than an Englifh fhilling. Nouv. Mem. des Miff. T. 3. p. 396. The Abajjl took its denomination from Schah Abas II. king of Perfia, under whom it was ftmck. On one fide, it hears the Mahometan profeffion of faith ; on the other, the name ABAS, and that of the city where it was coined. Savar. Diet. Comm. T. 1. p. 1. feq.
ABB
There are alfo pieces of five AbajJU, and others of two, tho' little ufed. Fifty Abajfts make the toman.
ABATIS, or Abbatis, in writers of the barbarous age, denotes an officer in the flables, who had the care, and diitri- bution of the provender.
Spelman * explains Abatis by bottler; and agreeably hereto, derives the word from the Greek a,3«Tos, ftupid ; a character which he fuppofes to belong to that fervile people. But the Abatis? at leaft in the houfholds of princes, was an officer of better figure : his function feems to have amounted to the fame with that of marfhal, others fay of fenefchal, or avenor. Hence Du Cange, with more probability, derives the word from batum? an antient meafure wherein the oats were dealt out : he was doubtlefs tirfl called a baits ■? as others, a fcriiiiis? a fecretis b , &c. — [ a Spelm. Gloff. p. 4. Voc. Ab- batis. b V. Du Cang. Gloff. Lat. T, I. p. 7. feq.]
ABA TOR, in law, is ufed for one that enters into a houfe or land, void by the death of the laft pofleflbr ; before the heir takes polfefnon, and thereby keeps him out. Old Nat. Br. 115. Cowel.
ABBA, in the Syriac, and Chaldec languages, literally fignifies a father ; and figuratively, a fuperior, reputed as a father in refpect of age, dignity, or affection.
The word has been adopted by divers other languages, be- fides the Syriac, and Chaldee, as the Ruffian, Ethiopic, c5>. Whence fome authors have dreamt of anatural fignificancy in it. V. Mif. Lipf. T. 7. p. 41.
Abba, Aba, or Anba, is more particularly ufed in the Syriac,. Coptic, and Ethiopic churches, as a title which the people give their biftiops. D'Herbelot, Bibl. Orient. Voc. Aba. The bifhops themfelves beflow the title Abba? more eminently on the patriarch of Alexandria ; which occafion'd the people to give him that of baba? or papa? that is grandfather ; a title which he bore before the bifhop of Rome.
Abba is alfo a Jewifh title of honour, given to certain of that clafs of rabbins, called Tanaites. V. Wolf Bibl. Heb. T. 2. p. 866.
We have no diftinct account of this dignity, which however appears to be very antient ; as being given to the mofl antient of the Gemaric doctors, and even the Seburaeans.
Abba, is alfo particularly ufed by fome writers of the middle age, for the fuperior of a monaftery, ufually called Abbot. Die Cange? Gloff. Lat. See Abbot Cycl.
ABBAISSEUR, in anatomy, a name given by Winflow and other French writers, to one of the mufcles of the eye, called by others the deprimens and hitmilis? and by Fabricius, the reclus inferior : Cowper, and Albinus, call it the depref- for oculi? and it is one of the quatuor reSti oculi '"of the laft author.
ABBAT, Abbas. See Abbot, Cycl
ABBATIS. See Abatis.
ABBAYANCE, in law books. See Abeyanc-k, Cycl.
ABBREVIATOR, is fometimes ufed for aperfon who con- traits, or reduces a long writing, or other matter into a fhorter com pafs.
Abbreviator, is more particularly ufed for an officer in the court of Rome, appointed as affiftant to the vice-chancellor, fpr drawing up the pope's briefs, and reducing petitions, when granted by the pontiff, into proper form, for being converted into bulls.
The Abbreviators are fuppofed by Ciampini, to be the fuccef- fors either of the canccllarii in the imperial houfhold, or of the feven notarii, faid to have been plac'd by pope Clement 1. in the feven quarters of Rome, to write down the acts of the martyrs within their feveral diftricts \
They are faid to have taken the name, cither from their writ- ing the brevia? briefs, or fhorter epiflles of the popes b ; or from their making ufe of notes, or abbreviations in writing. The latter opinion may feem the more probable, in that the name is fometimes ufed by writers of the fixth age, as fyno- nymous with notarii or brevirtons c . — [ a V. Ciampin. de Abbreviator. c. 1. feq. b Calv, Lex. Jur, p. 127. Voc. Bre- viator. c Wakh. ap Mifc. Lipf. T. 1. p. 147.] The earlieft mention made of Abbreviators in the papal court, is in one of the extravagantes of pope John XXII. in 1317. Pius II. firfl erected them into a college or order, in 1463, and conferr'd on them ample privileges. They werefupprefs'd by his fucceffor Paul II. in 1474, as ufelefs and ignorant ^ : and reflor'd and confirm'd anew by Sixtus IV. in 1478 c . — [ d Plathi. de Vit. Paul. p. 331. c Ciampini de Abbreviator. c. 4. feq.]
The Abbreviators at prefent make a college of feventy-two perfons, divided into two parks or ranks ; one call'd Abbre- viatores de parco majore? who are twelve in number, all pre- lates ; the other, Abbreviatores de parco minore? call'd alfo ex- aminatores? who may be laymen h . — See farther in Ciam- pini, who has two volumes exprefs, on the inftitution, office, privileges, ceremonies, &c. of the Abbreviators' 1 . — [ h Jour. des Scav. T. 37. p. 348. * De Abbreviatorum de parco majori, &c. Joannis Ciampini Ro?nani? fol. Rom. 1691. Extracts whereof are given in the Act. Erud. Ann. 1691. p. 306. and Journ. des Scav. T. 21. p. 120. Abbrcviatoris de curia compendiaria notitia. Rum. 1696. An Extract hereof is given in Act. Erud. -Lipf. 1998. p. 67. feq.]
Absre-
