Origins: Cicero and Classical Latin
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 2000 years old.
Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Marcus Tullius Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance.
About Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, orator, lawyer, and philosopher. He is considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists. His influence on the Latin language was immense, and his works remain widely read today.
The Discovery
The discovery of Lorem Ipsum's true origin is credited to Richard McClintock, a Latin scholar from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.
In the 1980s, McClintock was intrigued by a passage of Lorem Ipsum and decided to investigate. He looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage. Going through cites of the word in classical literature, he discovered the undoubtable source.
"The passage experienced a surge in popularity during the 1960s when Letraset used it on their dry-transfer sheets, and again during the 90s as desktop publishers bundled the text with their software."
The Standard Lorem Ipsum Passage
The first line of Lorem Ipsum, "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet...", comes from a line in section 1.10.32:
Original Latin (Cicero, 45 BC)
"Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt."
English Translation (H. Rackham, 1914)
"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful."
The Standard Lorem Ipsum (Since 1500s)
An unknown printer in the 15th century took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. The resulting text has been used ever since:
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."
Modern Adoption
Lorem Ipsum gained widespread popularity in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages. These dry-transfer sheets were used by designers and typesetters worldwide.
The digital revolution further cemented Lorem Ipsum's place in design. Desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker (later Adobe PageMaker) included versions of Lorem Ipsum as default placeholder text.
Original Text
Cicero writes "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum"
First Use
Unknown printer scrambles text for type specimen book
Letraset Era
Lorem Ipsum popularized with dry-transfer sheets
Discovery
Richard McClintock traces origin to Cicero
Digital Age
Bundled with desktop publishing and design software
Why It Endures
Lorem Ipsum has remained the industry standard for over 500 years for several reasons:
- Natural Distribution - The text has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, making it look like readable English
- Neutrality - Being in Latin, it doesn't distract viewers with readable content during design reviews
- Standardization - Everyone recognizes it as placeholder text, avoiding confusion
- Versatility - Works well for any type of content, from body text to headlines
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