Behind The Name: The Meaning of Jot and Tittle

Recently, I received an email from a POST reader sharing that he had received an email with “Tittle” as the Word of the Day. And I realized that I've never addressed one of the common questions I get: How did I come up with our name, Jot & Tittle? And, What does it mean?

To begin with, I wanted something fun, different, memorable—but also related to writing. I started Jot & Tittle as a hobby, really, and to scratch my own itch to write more. Since I am someone who spends a lot of time reading my Bible during my ponderings for a name, I suddenly thought of a verse that says:

“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18)

Additionally, I knew that JOT and TITTLE referred to the smallest marks in writing. (There's a much longer story about the meaning of “small” that applies personally, but that's a story for another time.) As soon as I recalled the verse above, I knew Jot & Tittle was perfect for us!

DEFINITIONS OF JOT AND TITTLE

JOT is the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet and is known as “iota”. To the right is an image of an iota:

The definition of JOT (n.) is a small mark written or printed. It is also known as a “yodh” (Phoenician).

As a verb, JOT means to write down briefly or quickly.

In regards to TITTLE, it is defined as the tiniest bit such as a dot, accent, or vowel mark. It is a serif or a projection of a letter.

While both are defined as the smallest or tiniest bit; a small mark, the difference between the two is shown below with a “tittle” being the tiniest mark (smaller than a JOT):

Everything simply fit for Jot & Tittle to be a name for our little hobby business (which turned into more!). Everything we write, even the smallest bits—the jots and tittles, are valuable and worthy to be captured. For me, our typewriter business was more than selling a typewriter, it was (and still is) about encouraging people to write—and have fun while doing it!

Professionally serviced vintage typewriters since 2018.

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