Thursday word: obelus

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

obelus (OB-uh-luhs) - n., the typographical symbol ÷ (division sign); the typographical symbol † (dagger).


The former more correctly, which originally was used to mark suspect passages in manuscripts, but now almost entirely for division (though in some languages it's sometimes used for a number range). The latter is now mostly used for an alternate footnote marker, but there's a host of other specialized usages. Both derive from the same medieval scribal symbol, and comes from the diminutive of the Greek for a spit (or other sharpened stick).

---L.

Comments

[med_cat]

Interesting, didn't know these had a name :)

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

It does! Everything that more than one person has to deal with has a name, if only as jargon.

[med_cat]

:)