Most languages have their own name for the symbol. At sign, symbol (@) used primarily to direct electronic communication to specified entities, most notably in email addresses and social media handles Before the late 20th century its primary use was commercial, where it signified “at the rate of.” Before the @ symbol became a standard key, the @ sign had a long past Learn its history, use & meaning now. The meaning of at sign is the symbol @ especially when used as part of an email address.
The @ symbol dates back to medieval scribes who used it as a shorthand for the latin word ad, meaning at or toward. it gained modern prominence in 1971 when ray tomlinson chose it for email addressing because it wasn’t used in names and clearly separated user from host. Today, the at sign is widely used as a tool of the internet / ˈæt ˌsaɪn / (also at symbol) add to word list the sign @, used for example in email and social media addresses: For nearly a century, the symbol was primarily used as shorthand for the phrase at the rate of, as in the following example 5 bananas @.40 cents per pound =.75 cents. Learn about the 'at sign,' its history, uses in email addresses and social media, etymology, and more
