signs and symbols - what is this @ called?

Answer 1

I would call it the "at" sign.

However, there is a possibility for confusion, as according to PC Magazine and answers.com, the @ is an ampersand. In 1971, Ray Tomlinson of Bolt Beranek and Newman chose the @ sign as a separator symbol for one of the first e-mail systems.

This, according to Wikipedia, is an ampersand:

&

But there may be room for the other use, and the entry is fascinating for its many uses of the traditional ampersand, including a sound in the orthography of the Marshallese language.

According to Steve, who runs the Languagehat web site:
" The people who call it "ampersand" are simply
wrong (as of now; obviously if that notion catches on, usage will
change and the dictionaries will accept it). An ampersand is the &
sign (which as I'm sure you know represents Latin et 'and,' and
ampersand comes from "and per se and"). I don't know where people get
the idea that it means the @ sign; simple sloppiness, I assume."

Victoria, who is a regular at the Word Exchange on Collins, posted what she found on symbols.com:

"the @ sign is not a new invention. Some researchers even believe it was used as early as in the sixth or seventh century, probably as a ligature (combination) of the two letters a and d for Latin ad, meaning to.
The @ sign has different names in different languages: In England it is called at-sign or commercial at, in Germany Klammeraffe (hanging monkey), in France arobas or petit escargot (small snail), in Spain arroba (an entity for weight) and in Italy chiocciolina (small snail). "
So it's just a simple little "at-sign" after all. (PS - sometimes one needs to dig a little deeper into Google. I too couldn't find "@", so I searched for symbols . . . and Bingo! "symbol.com" is a ruddy great dictionary of any manner of symbols. Great stuff!
And an ampersand is "&", as every schoolchild of my generation was taught."

I sent a brief note advising the people at PC Magazine that they were wrong. Interesting how a misconception like this can spread.

Answer 2

There is no official term. It is used by grocers and accountants throughout the English-speaking world to indicate a rate, or cost per unit, as in "10 gal @ $3.95. With the coming of the internet it has become the de facto delimiter in e-mail addresses, separating the user's name from the domain name.

Answer 3

It is modern to simply call it the "at" sign. However, this is a contraction, and when it was first used by type-setters and book-keepers it was called the "commercial at" sign, denoting the unit price of some quantity.

My school arithmetic book (pre-decimal UK) included such examples as "7 lbs 12 oz @ 4d per lb = 2s. 7d"

Answer 4

indicates price per item in multiples example:
5 @ .50 = $2.50 It is called an "at" sign

Answer 5

It means "at" as in so many items @ price each. First used as a shorthand method in the early 1900's in South African trade and business.

Answer 6

to place it in an elementary way, in math it ability that 2 issues are comparable. 2 geometric shapes may be the comparable shape, yet could be distinctive sizes and are for this reason pronounced to be comparable. each and all of the respective factors of the shapes could be proportionally the comparable. in case you notice this actual sign with an equivalent sign under it then the two figures are pronounced to no longer in easy terms be comparable yet congruent. this suggests that they are precisely the comparable in shape and length.

Answer 7

It is known as 'The commercial 'at''. It is used generally when describing prices. So, for example, you may see 'Potatoes @ £0.50 per pound'. It is used in commercial transactions and should not be a replacement for the word 'at'. So you wouldn't write 'I will see you @ 3,00 o'clock.'

Answer 8

I was told that at one time ampersand was the 27th letter of the alphabet.

Answer 9

The Ampersand is &.
That is the "at" symbol.


Nicholas - Admin
http://www.iConfessional.com

Answer 10

it is the ampersand otherwords known as the "at" sign.
most people use it in the quick languege like this phrase"

hey wats up can u meet me @ the arcade tonite?l8ter : > )