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.

petit cercle ‘small circle’

French. – Grammar: n.

References: PH Morelon: I.11:5, 38:19
Translation of:
Arabic: دائرة صغيرة [PH Morelon: I.11:5, 39:12]
Synonyms:
l'orbe epicycle[PH Morelon: I.9:6, 30:10]
petit orbe[PH Morelon: I.10:7, 34:7]