[coolcoder613]

&c as an abbreviation for etc was very common historically. For example, look at the OP. It would not normally be used for an et that is not the latin et (and), as in et cetera. Its use for an 'and' in latin carried over to english, for some reason, and that usage has stayed with us.

[Isamu]

It’s hard to see but & is literally an e and a t conjoined. Not a ligature exactly

[coolcoder613]

It is easier to see in other fonts, but yes, I am aware of that. However as far as I am aware, it was never used to join an e and t that were not the latin et.