[German version]

(or pugillaria, mostly: 'notebook'). Latin substantive, derived from pugillus, a diminutive of pugnus ('fist', 'closed hand'); the etymology emphasises that it is an object of such restricted size that it can be held there. In Latin texts pugillares. is a term for a small writing surface; sometimes it occurs as a synonym for libellus or codicillus ('small manuscript'). What is meant are mostly wax or wood tablets (such as those from Vindolanda in Britain, cf. [3]) or sheets of parchment (pugillares membranei, Mart. 14,7) fastened together. Ancient authors wro…