besma

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besma, m.n: besom, broom. (BEZ-ma / ˈbɛz-ma)

Word requested by goldgifa Jamie (find out more on Patreon).

The corner of a medieval manuscript page, in which a person wearing a hat emerges from the Latin text lifting a broom into the air, as if sweeping the corner; the number 54 is written in pencil next to it, the unfortunate choice of some modern-day librarian who wanted to mark the page number.
Psalter; Flanders (Ghent), 1320-1330; Bodleian Library, Douce 6, f. 54r. [digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk]

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