Unraveling the Ancient Secrets Behind the Iconic @ Symbol

The @ sign is a symbol that most people use every day, especially when sending emails or creating usernames online. But did you know that the @ sign has a history that goes back thousands of years? In different countries, people have given it unique names. In Taiwan, it is called 'little mouse', in Russia 'dog', in Hebrew 'strudel', and in Dutch 'monkey's tail'. The story of the @ sign is fascinating and shows how a simple symbol can connect cultures and generations.

Paola Antonelli, a senior curator at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, decided to include the @ sign in the museum's permanent collection. She wanted to show that everyday objects, like Post-it Notes, M&Ms, and paper clips, have interesting stories behind them. By displaying these items, she hoped people would see them in a new way and appreciate their importance. The @ sign was chosen because it is a key part of our digital lives, used in emails and social media.

The @ sign's journey began in Renaissance Europe, where merchants used it to mark shipments of wine and grain. It was an abbreviation for 'amphora', a type of clay pot used to store goods. Merchants would draw an 'a' with a long tail to represent amphora. The first known use of the @ sign in this way was in 1536, when a merchant wrote about the price of wine. Over time, the @ sign became popular among accountants and record keepers to show prices and quantities.

With the invention of typewriters in the 19th century, the @ sign became a standard part of the keyboard, especially in the United States. Typewriters helped people write clearly and quickly, which was important for business and accounting. The @ sign survived through different generations of typewriters because it was useful for keeping records.

When computers were developed, the @ sign was included on keyboards. It became truly important in 1971, when Ray Tomlinson, a computer scientist, used it to create email addresses. He needed a way to separate the user's name from the network they were on, and the @ sign was perfect for this. Since then, the @ sign has become a symbol of the internet and online communication.

As the internet spread around the world, people in different countries gave the @ sign new names based on what it looked like. Italians call it 'snail', Czechs call it 'rollmops', and Russians call it 'dog'. In Dutch, it is 'monkey's tail'. In English, it is simply called 'at', but sometimes 'commercial at' because of its business roots.

The @ sign also plays a role in creating online identities. When you make a username, the @ sign is often used to highlight your name. In Spanish, it is sometimes used as a gender-neutral character, like 'amig@s' for friends. Choosing a username can be an emotional experience because it represents who you are online.

Experts say that the @ sign forces us to think about our identity in new ways. It makes us create unique usernames and helps us express ourselves. The @ sign is now on display at MoMA in New York until November 2025, reminding us of its long history and its role in connecting people across the globe. Next time you use the @ sign, remember its journey from ancient pottery to the heart of the internet.