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.

towards the east ‘towards the east’

English

References: Alm. Toomer: 42. – PH Hamm: I.8:3, 50:13
Translation of:
Greek: πρὸς ἀνατολάς [Alm. Heiberg: I.5, 18:4. – PH Heiberg: I.8:3, 80:18]