@ (The "At sign")
Created | Updated Mar 1, 2002
Once thought to be the most dispensable key on the typewriter, the "Commercial A," as it was known to typesetters of the early twentieth century, has come into abundant use in the 1990's. Originally, the symbol meant "at" or "each" as in the following:
Hats @ $5 ("Hats at $5 each.")
Now, it is used to separate a person's individualized mailbox name from that of their server or domain in E-mail addresses:
[email protected]
More perplexing than its use or origin, is the symbol's name. While symbols are often referred to by the word they substitute for ("equals" for example), many have specific names. The one that comes most readily to mind is "ampersand"--the true name of this symbol: "&" Endeavours to find the true name of the Commercial A have been in vain. The closest to a name that has been uncovered so far is "blik." Pronounced exactly as it looks, the name appears to have been created by software programmers of the 80's.
Further research is pending.
Hats @ $5 ("Hats at $5 each.")
Now, it is used to separate a person's individualized mailbox name from that of their server or domain in E-mail addresses:
[email protected]
More perplexing than its use or origin, is the symbol's name. While symbols are often referred to by the word they substitute for ("equals" for example), many have specific names. The one that comes most readily to mind is "ampersand"--the true name of this symbol: "&" Endeavours to find the true name of the Commercial A have been in vain. The closest to a name that has been uncovered so far is "blik." Pronounced exactly as it looks, the name appears to have been created by software programmers of the 80's.
Further research is pending.
