Ampersand
The ampersand (&), also referred to as the and sign, is a logogram (a diagram standing for a word).
| Ampersand | |
|---|---|
| & | |
| ∧, ۽, ⅋, ＆, et, 🙰, 🙱, 🙲, 🙳, 🙴, 🙵, Ɛ̸, | |
 | |
| Usage | |
| Writing system | Latin script |
| Type | Logographic and Ideographic |
| Language of origin | Latin language |
| Phonetic usage | /et/ /æn(d)/ /æm.pə(ɹ).sænd/ |
| Unicode value | U+0026 |
| Alphabetical position | (27) |
| History | |
| Development | |
| Time period | ~100 to present |
| Descendants | • ⅋ |
| Sisters | Ϗ/ϗ (ligature of κ, α and ι in a similar fashion to &) |
| Transliteration equivalents | + ۽ ∧ |
| Variations | ∧, ۽, ⅋, ＆, et, 🙰, 🙱, 🙲, 🙳, 🙴, 🙵, Ɛ̸, |
| Other | |
| Other letters commonly used with | &C (etC) |
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It represents the Latin conjunction et, which means and. The ampersand symbol is not only a logogram, but also a ligature. It joins the old handwritten Latin letters e and t of the word et, so that the word is represented as a single glyph.[1]
With a c added on it means "et cetera", "and so on".
In everyday writing, the ampersand is sometimes written like a reversed 3 with a vertical line through it.[2]
Ampersand Media
Bilingual Irish street sign, with parallel agus and ampersand.
References
- ↑ "The ampersand & more" with Kory Stamper, part of the "Ask the Editor" video series at Merriam-Webster.com
- ↑ A Visual Guide to the Ampersand (Infographic)
