Incunabulum comes from the Latin word incunabula, meaning "swaddling clothes" or "cradle," used in the 15th century to refer to books printed before 1501.
A book printed before 1501, particularly one produced in the early years of the printing press.
From Latin "incūnābulum" (swaddling clothes, cradle, birthplace, origin), plural "incūnābula," from "in-" (in, into) + "cūnae" (cradle), a diminutive form from PIE *kei- (to lie down, bed, rest), which also yields Greek "keĩmai" (I lie down), "koimáō" (I put to sleep, source of "cemetery" — a sleeping place), and Sanskrit "śáye" (he lies). In its modern bibliographic sense, "incunabulum" refers specifically to any book printed in Europe before 1501 — the "cradle period" of printing after Gutenberg's invention of movable type (c. 1440–1455). The term was coined
The term 'incunabulum' reflects the metaphorical connection between the early printed books and the nurturing aspect of swaddling, emphasizing their formative role in the history of publishing.