In 1972, Ray Tomlinson sent the first electronic message, now known as e-mail, using the @ symbol to indicate the location of the e-mail recipient. Tomlinson, using a Model 33 Teletype device, understood that he needed to use a symbol that would not appear in anyone's name so that there was no confusion. The logical choice for Tomlinson was the "at sign," both because it was unlikely to appear in anyone's name and also because it represented the word "at," as in a particular user is sitting @ this specific computer.
While in the English language, @ is referred to as the "at sign," other countries have different names for the symbol that is now so commonly used in email transmissions throughout the world. Many of these countries associate the symbol with either food or animal names.
Afrikaans - In South Africa, it is called aapstert, meaning "monkey's tail"
Arabic - The @ symbol does not appear on Arabic keyboards, only keyboards in both Arabic and English. The Arabic word for @ is fi, the Arabic translation of at Bosnian, Croatian & Serbian - In these countries, it is referred to as the "Crazy I"
Cantonese - In Hong Kong it is generally referred to as "the at sign," just as in England and America
Catalan - In Catalonia, it is called arrova, a unit of weight
Czech - In Czech Republic, its zavinac, meaning "rollmop," or "pickled herring"
danish - It is called alfa-tegn, meaning "alpha-sign" or snabel-a, meaning "elephant's trunk" or grisehale, meaning "pig's tail"
dutch - Since English is prominent in the Netherlands, the English "at" is commonly used. However, the Dutch also call it apestaart, meaning monkey's tail," apestaartje, meaning "little monkey's tail" or slingeraap, meaning "swinging monkey"
French - In France, it is called arobase the name of the symbol. It is also referred to as un a commercial, meaning "business a", a enroule, meaning "coiled a", and sometimes escargot, meaning "snail" or petit escargot, meaning "little snail"
German - In Germany, it is called Affenschwanz, meaning "monkey's tail" or Klammeraffe, meaning "hanging monkey"
Greek - In Greece, it is called papaki, meaning "little duck"
Hebrew - It is shablul or shablool, meaning "snail" or a shtrudl, meaning "strudel"
Hungarian - In Hungary, it is called a kukac, meaning "worm" or "maggot"
Italian - In Italy it is called chiocciola, meaning "snail" and a commerciale, meaning "business a"
Japanese - In Japan, it is called atto maaku, meaning "at mark"
Mandarin Chinese - In Taiwan it is called xiao lao-shu, meaning "little mouse," lao shu-hao, meaning "mouse sign," at-hao, meaning "at sign" or lao shu-hao, meaning "mouse sign"
Norwegian - In Norway, it is called either grisehale, meaning "pig's tail" or kro/llalfa, meaning "curly alpha." In academia, the English term "at" is widely used
Polish - In Poland, it is called malpa, meaning "monkey." It is also called kotek, meaning "little cat" and ucho s'wini, meaning "pig's ear"
Portuguese - In Portugal it is called arroba, a unit of weight
Romanian - In Romania, it is called la, a direct translation of English "at"
Russian - Russians officially call it a kommercheskoe, meaning "commercial a", but it is usually called sobachka, meaning "little dog"
Spanish -- Like in Portugal, in Spain it is called arroba, a unit of weight
Swedish - The official term in Sweden is snabel-a, meaning "trunk-a," or "a with an elephant's trunk"
Thai - There is no official word for it in Thai, but it is often called ai tua yiukyiu, meaning "the wiggling worm-like character"
Turkish - In Turkey, most e-mailers call it kulak, meaning "ear"
Weight: 0.73G
Metal: 14k Yellow Gold
Length: 17.4 mm (0.68 inches)
Width: 11 mm (0.44 inches)
Bail Length: 5.7 mm (0.22 inches)
Bail Width: 4.2 mm (1.6 inches)
Charm/Element Length: 13.1 mm (0.52 inches)
Charm/Element Thickness: 0.8 mm (0.03 inches)
Charm/Element Width: 11 mm (0.44 inches)
Feature: Solid
Finish: Polish
Feature: Flat Back
While in the English language, @ is referred to as the "at sign," other countries have different names for the symbol that is now so commonly used in email transmissions throughout the world. Many of these countries associate the symbol with either food or animal names.
Afrikaans - In South Africa, it is called aapstert, meaning "monkey's tail"
Arabic - The @ symbol does not appear on Arabic keyboards, only keyboards in both Arabic and English. The Arabic word for @ is fi, the Arabic translation of at Bosnian, Croatian & Serbian - In these countries, it is referred to as the "Crazy I"
Cantonese - In Hong Kong it is generally referred to as "the at sign," just as in England and America
Catalan - In Catalonia, it is called arrova, a unit of weight
Czech - In Czech Republic, its zavinac, meaning "rollmop," or "pickled herring"
danish - It is called alfa-tegn, meaning "alpha-sign" or snabel-a, meaning "elephant's trunk" or grisehale, meaning "pig's tail"
dutch - Since English is prominent in the Netherlands, the English "at" is commonly used. However, the Dutch also call it apestaart, meaning monkey's tail," apestaartje, meaning "little monkey's tail" or slingeraap, meaning "swinging monkey"
French - In France, it is called arobase the name of the symbol. It is also referred to as un a commercial, meaning "business a", a enroule, meaning "coiled a", and sometimes escargot, meaning "snail" or petit escargot, meaning "little snail"
German - In Germany, it is called Affenschwanz, meaning "monkey's tail" or Klammeraffe, meaning "hanging monkey"
Greek - In Greece, it is called papaki, meaning "little duck"
Hebrew - It is shablul or shablool, meaning "snail" or a shtrudl, meaning "strudel"
Hungarian - In Hungary, it is called a kukac, meaning "worm" or "maggot"
Italian - In Italy it is called chiocciola, meaning "snail" and a commerciale, meaning "business a"
Japanese - In Japan, it is called atto maaku, meaning "at mark"
Mandarin Chinese - In Taiwan it is called xiao lao-shu, meaning "little mouse," lao shu-hao, meaning "mouse sign," at-hao, meaning "at sign" or lao shu-hao, meaning "mouse sign"
Norwegian - In Norway, it is called either grisehale, meaning "pig's tail" or kro/llalfa, meaning "curly alpha." In academia, the English term "at" is widely used
Polish - In Poland, it is called malpa, meaning "monkey." It is also called kotek, meaning "little cat" and ucho s'wini, meaning "pig's ear"
Portuguese - In Portugal it is called arroba, a unit of weight
Romanian - In Romania, it is called la, a direct translation of English "at"
Russian - Russians officially call it a kommercheskoe, meaning "commercial a", but it is usually called sobachka, meaning "little dog"
Spanish -- Like in Portugal, in Spain it is called arroba, a unit of weight
Swedish - The official term in Sweden is snabel-a, meaning "trunk-a," or "a with an elephant's trunk"
Thai - There is no official word for it in Thai, but it is often called ai tua yiukyiu, meaning "the wiggling worm-like character"
Turkish - In Turkey, most e-mailers call it kulak, meaning "ear"
Weight: 0.73G
Metal: 14k Yellow Gold
Length: 17.4 mm (0.68 inches)
Width: 11 mm (0.44 inches)
Bail Length: 5.7 mm (0.22 inches)
Bail Width: 4.2 mm (1.6 inches)
Charm/Element Length: 13.1 mm (0.52 inches)
Charm/Element Thickness: 0.8 mm (0.03 inches)
Charm/Element Width: 11 mm (0.44 inches)
Feature: Solid
Finish: Polish
Feature: Flat Back
