Parafa

Parafa is a term used in several languages to denote a short flourish, initials, or sign placed on a document to indicate authentication or endorsement. It is closely related to the concept of a paraph (paraphe) used in Western legal practice, where an author signs or initials with a brief stroke or symbol to attest content without signing every page. The form and terminology vary by language and jurisdiction, but the underlying purpose is similar: to prevent tampering and to indicate consent or authorship on multi-page documents.

Across languages, parafa may appear as a noun referring to the mark itself, and in some contexts it may function as a proper noun such as a surname or place name. In Turkish, Romanian, and other languages that borrow from paraph terminology, forms analogous to parafa exist, though exact usage differs regionally. The mark can range from a few initials to a short flourish or stamp, often placed near the end of the document or in the margin.

In contemporary practice, digital and scanned documents may retain a parafa as part of a signature block, or as a digital equivalent such as an electronic paraph. Despite advances in digital authentication, the concept of a parafa persists in many legal and administrative workflows as a lightweight signal of approval or authorship.

See also: paraph, parafe, parafé, notary, electronic signature.