Institutio Oratoria

Again, what of words whose spelling is at variance with their pronunciation? For instance C is used as an abbreviation for Gaius, and when inverted stands for a woman, for as we know from the words of the marriage service women used to be called Gaiae, just as men were called Gaii. [*]( The bride used the formula ubi tu Gaius, ibi ego Gaia. ) Gnaeus

too in the abbreviation indicating the praenomen is spelt in a manner which does not agree with its pronunciation. We also find columnas [*](columa is mentioned by the grammarian Pompeius as a barbarism in the fifth century. cp. dimin. columella. Consul is abbreviated cos. ) and consul spelt without an n,