this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2025
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Typography
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Type design, setting, fonts, etc.
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I always assumed it was a ligature of English “at” and knew nothing of its long European history, predating English itself. Its relation to “at” is apparently coincidental, and that coincidence is probably why it ended up on everyone’s typewriters and later keyboards.
“10 widgets at £1.50 each” ⭢ “10 widgets @ £1.50 each”
“&” came from Latin, from a ligature of “et” (“and”). At various times & places, it was considered a letter of the Latin & English alphabets. See also Et cetera.
https://www.webdevelopersnotes.com/15-names-of-the-at-symbol-in-different-languages
You'll find hardly anyone that understands that word. We typically refer to it by its English name.