Where Does the Word Incunabula Come from?

Incunabula is the plural of the Latin word incunabulum, a cradle. Evolving from its original meaning, incunabulum came to mean "place of birth" or "beginning." In the world of books, the word incunabula refers to books that were printed using metal type up to the year 1500.

How many types of incunabula are there?

There are two types of incunabula in printing: the block book, printed from a single carved or sculpted wooden block for each page, employing the same process as the woodcut in art (these may be called xylographic); and the typographic book, made with individual pieces of cast-metal movable type on a printing press.

What do you call books printed before 1501?

"Incunabulum" first appeared in English in the 19th century, referring retroactively to those books produced in the first decades of printing press technology - specifically those printed before the year 1501, a date that appears to have been determined only arbitrarily.