What is the name of the sign in different countries. Why is @ called "dog"? Email Icon Mile

The ampersand is a graphic abbreviation for the Latin conjunction et (and).

In Russian, the word ampersand is recognized only by the Lopatinsky Russian Spelling Dictionary. It is practically impossible to find references to the sign in the literature of the pre-computer era due to its extremely rare use in the Cyrillic type. In "Brief information on typographical business" (St. Petersburg: 1899) it is called "a sign that replaces the union "and"", in the "Handbook of a printing technologist" (M.: 1981) - "a sign of conjunction".

The authorship of the ampersand is attributed to Marcus Tullius Tiron, a devoted slave and secretary of Cicero. Even after Tyro became a freedman, he continued to write Ciceron's texts. And by 63 BC. e. invented his own system of abbreviations to speed up writing, called "Tyronian signs" or "Tyronian notes" (Notæ Tironianæ, no originals survived), which were used until the 11th century (so at the same time Tiron is also considered the founder of Roman shorthand).

The ampersand has been actively used by scribes since the second half of the 8th century, and by typographers since the middle of the 15th century.

Curiously, & is used not only in Latin texts, but literally in all European books - in English, French, Italian.
For example, in Italian:
Between the ridiculously completed ampersand on the left and the ordinary one on the right, almost all transitional forms are visible. At the compositor at the checkout, the letters & were different in style, so that the strip would not ripple in the eyes.

Sometimes (out of poverty) in the absence of an ampersand in some font, it was sculpted from improvised means - say, from eights and With. The result was a smiley like “very surprised Taras Bulba”:
Evolution of the Ampersand
When pronouncing the alphabet in front of letters, which, in addition to sounds, were also words, they pronounced per se (lat. in itself). They said, for example: and, per se I, so as not to confuse the letter with the pronoun "I".

The last was &, about which they said: and, per se and (and, in itself, “and”). Such a construction simply had to become more adapted to frequent and rapid pronunciation, and already in 1837 the word ampersand (isamapasei) was recorded in dictionaries.

Today we have the “dog” icon, which, if we stick to a scientific approach, is officially called “commercial at”, it looks something like this: @. Familiar? Well, a dog, an “incomprehensible icon”, “but with a tail” and even a “monkey”. But mostly it's the dog. Why and where did this name come from? Many are perplexed, but still continue to say something like “Petrovinvest dog mail.ru” when dictating (for example, their Email on the phone). It doesn't always sound good.

Moreover, on the other end of the wire, he will most likely be correctly understood if he is not a foreigner or a Russian-speaking comrade who has long been living in a foreign land. For the latter, “dog” (especially if this word is translated into the language of the opponent) causes a stupor. The fact is that this designation took root only in Runet, and in bourgeois the @ symbol as soon as they don’t call it, but not like us. Curious, by the way, is the history of the appearance of this icon both on the keyboard and in Email addresses. Actually, this is what this post is about.

How to pronounce the @ sign correctly - dog, doggy or ...

So, in 99.9 percent of cases, our compatriots are forced to "stand out" in the process of oral transmission to someone. Despite the dominance of instant messengers, the usual email. mail is still the de facto main contact channel (in any case, the official one). Most often, it is Emails that are exchanged in case of need to contact or receive some materials (pictures, documents, etc.).

Well, if it is possible to write to the opponent "your soap" on a piece of paper or send it in an SMS message. The problem with the “dog” comes out precisely when it is necessary to transmit Email by voice. It’s not a problem to convey Latin characters using names (by first letters), but the @ sign not only confuses many, but makes you wonder if it would be correct to call it a “dog” (like a dirty word). And why actually "sobakevich"?

So, first things first. Yes, calling the @ icon a dog is perfectly acceptable(in any case, this jargon is not shy on television and in the press, although they can hardly serve as examples of correct behavior and expression of one's thoughts). However, it would be better to understand what is at stake, and if yours does not understand you, then quickly correct yourself and issue another (officially correct, not jargon) sound designation of the @ symbol.

Actually, it's pronounced like "et"(from English at). This sign is written as "commercial at". Why commercial? Well, because the English word at itself is a preposition that has several translation variations in Russian (meanings - the Russian language is great and mighty). For example, it can be the preposition "on", "by" or "in" (sometimes "around"), but in general it is usually indicates the location.

By the way, that is why its symbolic designation (the @ sign) was chosen to display Email addresses. See how everything falls into place..ru”, i.e. But I ran ahead a bit. We had a question - why "@" is called the commercial at. Here again, everything is quite logical.

For abbreviations in English accounts (accounting documentation), several hundred years ago, it became customary to write a single @ sign instead of the word at. For example, like this: 7 articles @ 5 thousand rubles = 35 thousand rubles. If you decipher it, it will turn out: writing seven articles "for" 5 thousand rubles apiece will cost 35 thousand rubles. Thus, the question of why @ is called the commercial at can be considered finished. Go ahead.

Because accounts (accounting) is a serious matter, then with the advent of the first serial typewriters they began to add, in addition to ordinary letters and numbers, the sign "dogs" (in their language). Well, since personal computers largely inherited their layout from typewriters, then the @ symbol successfully migrated to the keyboards of PC users. So we followed pretty clearly.

But why exactly "dog" (et) was chosen as? Well, it's worth mentioning here that @ is used as a separator not only in email addresses, but also in . Using it, they separate the login with a password from, in fact, the address of the page that is being accessed (for details, see the link). But this format of Urls is rare, and for the vast majority of Internet users the stumbling block is in the email address.

As I already (hurriedly) mentioned a little higher, the addition of the “et” sign as a separator was quite logical (based on the meaning of the word at and the use of its analogue in the form of the @ symbol in bourgeois accounting). Those. any email address can be easily pronounce like: petrov on gmai.com (and this would be eminently correct and true).

Everything is clear and there are no questions with dogs. If you once again plunge into history, then a certain Tomlinson (a programmer, of course) was the first to introduce this type of recording into use already in shaggy 1971. With the help of this entry, the host (computer, server) was also separated, on which this very user had to be searched.

With a Russian-language keyboard layout, in order to insert the @ sign into the text, you will first need to switch to English using hot keys (depending on the OS settings, this can be done by pressing Shift + Alt or Shift + Control), or by clicking by the language selection icon in the tray (lower right area of ​​the screen). @ lives above the number 2, i.e. to insert it, you will need to hold down Shift and press the deuce (for beginners in using a PC, I chew it).

So why is the @ symbol called a dog in RuNet?

Naturally, at that time, in the vastness of the Runet (which did not yet exist), no one knew about this. The initial computerization of the majority of the Russian-speaking mass of users began only in the 80s, and it was then that the jargon “dog” (dog) appeared to denote the sign separating the spelling of the Email address. Email mail in general was one of the first aspects that a novice PC and Internet user got acquainted with ().

There is no exact information about who or what triggered the viral spread of this meme (Internet jargon). There are several assumptions, and all of them are rightly based on the fact that in the 80s there were no graphics familiar to us - neither in games, nor in operating systems. Everything was test, or rather symbolic.

For example, in games, characters were displayed using various icons, and locations were also created. I still remember the flying-shooter, on which I spent money in the Internet club during my childhood - everything was drawn there with arrows, sticks and stars. But what a buzz I experienced then from the game! It is no longer possible to understand, repeat or explain this now (one can only remember with longing).

So, there is several versions explaining the naming of the @ sign "dog" or "dog" (probably this option is more often used by ladies). According to one of them, it was the rpg game that was popular at that time that served as the starting point for the viral distribution of the meme (I personally did not play it, or I completely forgot). In it, along with the hero, a dog traveled, which either in whole or in part (her nose) was displayed using the @ symbol. In this case, the association is quite understandable and explainable.

According to another version, the special spelling of the @ sign on some computers that were popular at that time in runet was to blame for everything. This sign was drawn with a shortened tail and looked very much like a dog.

In addition, it was always displayed when loading, and once a name mentioned by someone could find support and begin to spread virally enough to break through the generation line, completely losing its original meaning.

What is the result?

In general, there is only one conclusion - the @ symbol is called a dog for a long time we no longer understand the reason. It's just a rudiment - everyone is talking and I'm talking. Is it worth it to continue this bacchanalia? Why not. This makes Russian-speaking netizens even more mysterious in the eyes of foreigners.

Although they themselves do not lag behind and often instead of the English “at” they pronounce something like “snail” (indeed, the @ sign looks like a snail - certainly more than a dog), “monkey”, “but with a tail” (trunk , curl), “duck”, “roll”, etc. (I would also add the statement “some kind of crap” by Voronin Sr. from the series, because it also fits). The imagination of people is limitless.

P.S. By the way, I want to correct myself. “Dog” (aka “et”), after all, found a residence permit not only in email addresses. It can be said that it has successfully established itself there as well. After all, the @ sign is always placed before the user's name, for example, when replying to his message.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the blog pages site

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November 11, 2015, 14:37

So, @ - ligature meaning "at". The official name of the symbol is commercial at. Currently, in Russian, this symbol is most often called " dog”, especially when using it in network services. Sometimes this symbol is erroneously called ampersand(&) .

In the former USSR, this sign was unknown before the advent of the computer.
The name "dog" became widespread in connection with the appearance on the computer of the game, where the symbol @ ran around the screen and, according to the scenario of the game, meant a dog.
Another version of the origin of the name: on alphanumeric personal computer monitors of the DVK series (1980s), the “tail” of the image of this symbol drawn on the screen was very short, which made it look like a schematically drawn dog.
It looks like DVK-1

At the same time, translated from Tatar (and some other Turkic languages ​​in the territory of the former USSR), “et” means “dog”.

In Russia, users most often call the @ symbol a dog, which is why email addresses formed from personal names and surnames sometimes take on an unusual sound. In the 1990s, when the badge @ for the first time they tried to translate into Russian, there were many equal options - "krakozyabra", "squiggle", "frog", "ear" and others. In fact, they have now practically disappeared.

In other countries, our dog is also called very skillfully and fantasy. Go!

in Holland- "monkey tail" What if the monkey has a tail like that?

in Poland, Croatia, Romania- "monkey" Will there be no copyright?

in Finland- "cat's tail"

in France- "snail"

in Hungary- "caterpillar", "worm" and "pigtail" Once, while walking through the forest, I noticed this on my sleeve ... They called from China, they asked me to stop yelling like that.

in Serbia- "ludo A" (crazy A)
Who remembers?)))

in Japan- "whirlpool" or "naruto" (after the name of the Naruto whirlpool)
It appears once a day, when the waters of the Pacific Ocean rush into a narrow strait. The rotation speed of the whirlpool reaches 20 km / h. Funnel diameter - up to 15 m.

in Israel- "strudel" How do you want something sweet!

in China- "mouse"

in Norway- “kanelbolle” (spiral rolled cinnamon roll, that is, a bun)
Norwegian cinnamon bun

In Germany the sign is literally called "monkey with a prehensile tail", but the German word Klammeraffe also has a second, figurative, meaning: this is the name of a passenger on a motorcycle hunched over in the second seat behind the driver. I love the German language, a pleasure for me!

In Sweden and Denmark- "elephant's trunk" or "but with a trunk"

in Spain- compared to a spiral-shaped candy popular on the island of Mallorca
Ensaimada - the sweet symbol of Mallorca

in the Czech Republic and Slovakia- rollmops (marinated herring)
By the way, this dish is common in many European countries, such as Germany, Latvia and Norway.

in Belarus, Ukraine, Italy- "snail"

Even in the international language Esperanto The e-mail symbol got its name: "snail". In general, almost everywhere this symbol was called one word or another according to the principle of similarity. But we don't! It seems to me so interesting)) More mysterious!

Have a good day everyone!

In the 1990s, when they first tried to translate the @ sign into Russian, there were many equal options - “krakozyabra”, “squiggle”, “frog”, “ear” and others. True, at present they have practically disappeared, and the “dog” has spread throughout the Runet and has remained, because any language strives to have only one universal word for anything. The remaining titles remain marginal, although there may be a great many of them. For example, in English, the @ symbol is called not only the words commercial at, but also mercantile symbol, commercial symbol, scroll, arobase, each, about, etc. Where did the association between the main computer icon and a person's friend come from? For many, the @ symbol really does look like a curled up dog.

There is an exotic version that the abrupt pronunciation of English at can resemble dog barking. However, a much more likely hypothesis links our symbol to the very old Adventure computer game. It had to travel through the maze, fighting with various unpleasant underground creatures. Since the game was textual, the player himself, the walls of the labyrinth, monsters and treasures were designated by various symbols (say, the walls were built from "!", "+" and "-"). The player in Adventure was accompanied by a dog that could be sent out on reconnaissance missions. It was denoted by the @ symbol. Perhaps it is thanks to this now forgotten computer game that the name "dog" has taken root in Russia.

The @ sign is everywhere in today's world, especially since it has become an integral part of an email address. But this symbol was part of the layout of the standard American typewriter long before the computer era, and became a computer symbol only because it was relatively little used. The @ sign is used in commercial calculations - in the meaning of "at the price" (at the rate). Let's say 10 gallons of oil at $3.95 per gallon would be shorthand: 10 gal of oil @ $3.95/gal. In English-speaking countries, the symbol is also used in science in the meaning of "at": for example, a density of 1.050 g/cm at 15 °C would be written: 1.050 g/cm @ 15 °C. In addition, the @ sign is loved and often used by anarchists due to its similarity to their symbol - "A in a circle."

However, its original origin is shrouded in mystery. From the point of view of the linguist Ullmann, the @ symbol was invented by medieval monks to shorten the Latin ad ("on", "in", "in relation to" and so on), which is very similar to its current use. Another explanation is given by the Italian scientist Giorgio Stabile - he discovered this symbol in the records of the Florentine merchant Francesco Lapi for 1536 in the meaning of "amphora": for example, the price of one @ wine. Interestingly, the Spaniards and the Portuguese call the character in emails exactly “amphora” (arroba) - a word that the French, distorting, turned into arobase. However, in different countries there are a variety of names for the @ symbol, most often zoological. The Poles call it "monkey", the Taiwanese - "mouse", the Greeks - "duck", the Italians and Koreans - "snail", the Hungarians - "worm", the Swedes and Danes - "elephant trunk", the Finns - "cat's tail" or " meow sign, and the Armenians, like us, - "doggie". There are gastronomic names - "strudel" in Israel and "rollmops" (marinated herring) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In addition, often this symbol is simply called "crooked A", or "A with a curl", or, as the Serbs, "crazy A". However, the most surprising of the modern stories associated with the @ symbol occurred in China, where the sign is tritely called "A in a circle." A few years ago, a Chinese couple gave this name to a newborn. Perhaps the sign began to be perceived as a hieroglyph symbolizing technological progress, and they decided that it would bring happiness and success to the young inhabitant of the Middle Kingdom.