The Medieval Origins of the @ Symbol. Hyphens in Dual-Heritage Terms. Pitch.

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

900. The story of the @ symbol is much bigger than email. In fact, it was used for hundreds of years before being saved from obscurity by the invention of electronic communication. I explore the medieval origin story of @, plus share a bunch of fun names for it in other languages. Also, many style books recently removed the hyphen from dual-heritage terms like "Asian American," and I explain why in a segment that includes a tribute to former Los Angeles Times editor Henry Fuhrmann.

| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/where-did-we-get-the-at-symbol/transcript

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