The spelling of the word "eightvo" is quite unique and can be confusing for many. It is pronounced as "eyt-voh" and is derived from the Latin word "octavo," meaning "eighth." The word "eightvo" is a printing term that refers to a book or publication that measures approximately 22.5 cm in height and 14 cm in width. The spelling is a combination of the word "eight" and "vo," which is short for "octavo." Despite its unconventional spelling, "eightvo" is widely recognized and used in the publishing industry.
Eightvo, also known as octavo, is a term frequently used in the book-binding and publishing industry to define a specific size format for printed publications. The term is derived from the Latin word "octavo," meaning "eight" and is abbreviated as "8vo."
In this context, eightvo refers to a book or pamphlet that has been produced by folding a full sheet of paper three times, resulting in eight leaves or sixteen pages. The original sheet is commonly divided into quarters, with each quarter folded separately, producing a smaller, more compact book.
Eightvo-sized books are typically larger than smaller formats such as duodecimo or sextodecimo but smaller than larger formats like folio or quarto. This size classification facilitates the organization and categorization of books based on their dimensions.
The eightvo format became popular during the 19th and early 20th centuries, especially for literary works, essays, and novels. It allowed publishers to produce portable, easily transportable editions that were more affordable than larger formats.
Today, while the use of the term "eightvo" has diminished, it is still occasionally employed by antiquarian booksellers and book collectors to describe the size of old and rare editions. It serves as a useful tool for bibliographers and scholars to precisely identify and classify books based on their physical characteristics.
The word "eightvo" comes from the Latin term "octavo", which means "eighth". "Octavo" is derived from the Latin word "octo", meaning "eight", which is related to the Indo-European root "okto". In bookbinding, "eightvo" or "8vo" refers to a size category where a large sheet of paper is folded into eight leaves or sixteen pages. Therefore, "eightvo" denotes a book that is approximately one-eighth the size of the original sheet.