Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!CCH.BBN.COM!bnevin
From: bnevin@CCH.BBN.COM ("Bruce E. Nevin")
Newsgroups: comp.laser-printers
Subject: @
Message-ID: <8803311511.AA05712@brillig.umd.edu>
Date: 15 Mar 88 14:59:56 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
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Approved: laser-lovers@brillig.umd.edu

I'm sure some of you typography mavens know the origin of the "at"
sign.  A couple of theories that have come up on the local "English"
bboard:

	The circle maybe originally extended around to cross a t,
	as in the derivation of & from et

	The circle is the C in "ca.", abbreviation of "circa"

	The symbol originally meant "each", as in "3 apples @ 5cents",
	the prototypical usage

The discussion came up in connection with misuse (fortunately still
minority) to signify "about", as in "the room holds @ 8 people" and
(ambiguously) "the meeting starts @ 7:30", where ~ borrowed from
math is more common usage for the present audience.

What's the real story about the origin of @?

	Bruce
	bn@cch.bbn.com