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.

شهر ‘month’

Arabic

References: PH Morelon: I.6:1, 23:10
Translation of:
Greek: μήν (or μείς) [PH Heiberg: I.6:1, 78:12]
Modern translations:
French: mois (lunaire) [PH Morelon: I.6:1, 22:11]
German: Monat [PH Nix: I.6:1, 79:12]