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.

similar ‘similar’

English

References: Alm. Toomer: 79; 80 n.14. – Plan. Sidoli+Berggren: ?
Translation of:
Greek: ὅμοιος [Alm. Heiberg: II.3, 96:24]
Arabic: مثل [Plan. Sidoli+Berggren: 411, 450]