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.

ce que nous avons proposé précédemment ‘application’

French

References: PH Morelon: I.2:4, 16:35
Translation of:
Arabic: ما قدّمنا (وضعه) [PH Morelon: I.2:4, 17:20]