The Surprising History of Placeholder Text
Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2,000 years old. Understanding the source of our tools—even the ones as simple as placeholder text—is a great first step in understanding the depth of the materials we use in an online teaching environment.
The Discovery of "Consectetur"
Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage. By tracing the word through classical literature, he discovered the undoubtable source: sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero.
A Legacy of Ethics
Written in 45 BC, this book is a treatise on the theory of ethics and was incredibly popular during the Renaissance. The iconic first line, "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..", actually comes from a line in section 1.10.32. This standard chunk has been used by printers and typesetters since the 1500s.
Original Source and Translation
For those interested in the foundational texts of classical Latin, sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from Cicero’s work are often reproduced in their exact original form. These are typically accompanied by the 1914 English translation by H. Rackham, providing a bridge between ancient philosophy and modern design.
