Helen --
The last page of West's Law Finder: A Legal Research Manual has an ad for
West Hornbooks, which states: "In the 16th century, a common device for
teaching was the Hornbook, a leaf of pape containing the alphabet or other
basic learning protected by a thin plate of translucent horn mounted on a
tablet of wood with a projecting piece for a handle." The ad includes a
picture.
-- Mary
=====Mary Whisner, Head of Reference======================
=====Gallagher Law Library, University of Washington======
=====whisner@u.washington.edu=============================
On Wed, 2 Aug 1995, Helen Litwack wrote:
> Hello out there.
>
> Does anyone know the origin of the term "hornbook"?
> Black's Law Dictionary calls it a "colloquial designation
> of the rudiments or general principles of law", but does not
> tell me what the origin of the term is, e.g., what the "horn"
> in "hornbook" means.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Helen Litwack
> Reference Librarian
> New England School of Law Library
> Boston, Mass.
> hlitwack@lib.nesl.edu
>
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