PAL

Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus

_ (the underscore) is the placeholder for exactly one character.
% (the percent sign) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character.
%% (two percent signs) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character, but not for blank space (so that a search ends at word boundaries).

At the beginning and at the end, these placeholders are superfluous.

إِبتدَى ؟؟ ‘count off’

Arabic

References: Alm. MS Tunis: 31a.21
Translation of:
Greek: διεκβάλλω [Alm. Heiberg: II.9, 144:1]
Synonyms:
ألقى[Alm. MS Leiden: f. 24v.25]
ألقى[Alm. MS Leiden: f. 24v.29]
ألقى (ألقانا بأن نبتدي)[Alm. MS Tunis: 31a.25]