incunabulum

1. A book printed before 1501; an incunable.
2. An artifact of an early period.

Origin:

Origin: New Latin incūnābulum

Origin: , from sing. of Latin incūnābula, swaddling clothes, cradle

Origin: : in-, in; see in-²

Origin: + cūnābula, cradle, infancy (from cūnae, cradle; see kei-¹ in Indo-European roots)

Related Forms:

• inˌcu·nabˈu·lar (-lər) adjective