#History: the journey and many faces of the hash symbol

From the Romans to Twitter, the hash sign – or octothorpe – has had a rich history, and now this innocuous little character has found a mighty ... (PhotoByPhoto:viralnature.com) Hash.Pound.Number.Octothorpe.Grid.Crunch.Diamond.Sharp.Mesh.Crosshatch.Thud.Thump.Splat.Scratchmark.Square.Hex.Flash.Tic-tac-toe.Pig-pen. Thehostofnamesthe“#”symbolhashadoverthecenturiesonlyjustoutnumberstheplethoraoffunctionsithasfulfilled.FromwhentheLatinfor“pound”beganbeingwrittenas“lb”(shortforlibra)withalinethroughthetop,tothecreationofmillionsofhashtagsadayonTwitter,ithashadacolourfulhistory. Itwasonceahumblelittlecharacter,perchingunusedontelephonekeypads,merelycalleduponwhenenrageddiallershadtospeaktodismissivemachinesontheotherend,andisrelegatedonmostMackeyboardstoonlybeingconjuredupbyhittingAlt+3.ButthenthearrivalofTwittersawitbeingtyped,tappedandclickedintoprominence–asymboltoleadallsymbols.Agloballylaudedcriss-crossofbreakingnews,campaigns,anddigitally-deliveredjokes. Here’sitsstory. Related Science&Tech Theinternetdictionary:whatdoeskysmean? Science&Tech HowgossipforumTattleLifebecamethemosttoxicplaceontheinternet Culture ThebestbooksabouttheCovid-19pandemic Latinroots Findingoutwhenthehashsymbolwasfirstusedwouldrequirea“prettymuchcharacter-by-characterhuntofseventeenthandeighteenth-centurybookstofindit,”accordingtoShadyCharactersauthorandbloggerKeithHouston. SubscribetoMorningCall Viewallnewsletters ThequickandessentialguidetodomesticandglobalpoliticsfromtheNewStatesman'spoliticsteam. Signuphere Selectandenteryouremailaddress MorningCall QuickandessentialguidetodomesticandglobalpoliticsfromtheNewStatesman'spoliticsteam. TheCrash Aweeklynewsletterhelpingyoufittogetherthepiecesoftheglobaleconomicslowdown. WorldReview TheNewStatesman’sglobalaffairsnewsletter,everyMondayandFriday. TheNewStatesmanDaily ThebestoftheNewStatesman,deliveredtoyourinboxeveryweekdaymorning. 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Youremailaddress Jobtitle Jobtitle Administration/Office ArtsandCulture BoardMember Business/CorporateServices Client/CustomerServices Communications Construction,Works,Engineering Education,CurriculumandTeaching Environment,ConservationandNRM Facility/GroundsManagementandMaintenance FinanceManagement Health-MedicalandNursingManagement HR,TrainingandOrganisationalDevelopment InformationandCommunicationsTechnology InformationServices,Statistics,Records,Archives InfrastructureManagement-Transport,Utilities LegalOfficersandPractitioners LibrariansandLibraryManagement Management Marketing OH&S,RiskManagement OperationsManagement Planning,Policy,Strategy Printing,Design,Publishing,Web Projects,ProgramsandAdvisors Property,AssetsandFleetManagement PublicRelationsandMedia PurchasingandProcurement QualityManagement ScienceandTechnicalResearchandDevelopment SecurityandLawEnforcement ServiceDelivery SportandRecreation Travel,Accommodation,Tourism Wellbeing,Community/SocialServices Jobtitle Administration/Office ArtsandCulture BoardMember Business/CorporateServices Client/CustomerServices Communications Construction,Works,Engineering Education,CurriculumandTeaching Environment,ConservationandNRM Facility/GroundsManagementandMaintenance FinanceManagement Health-MedicalandNursingManagement HR,TrainingandOrganisationalDevelopment InformationandCommunicationsTechnology InformationServices,Statistics,Records,Archives InfrastructureManagement-Transport,Utilities LegalOfficersandPractitioners LibrariansandLibraryManagement Management Marketing OH&S,RiskManagement OperationsManagement Planning,Policy,Strategy Printing,Design,Publishing,Web Projects,ProgramsandAdvisors Property,AssetsandFleetManagement PublicRelationsandMedia PurchasingandProcurement QualityManagement ScienceandTechnicalResearchandDevelopment SecurityandLawEnforcement ServiceDelivery SportandRecreation Travel,Accommodation,Tourism Wellbeing,Community/SocialServices Signup IconsenttoNewStatesmanMediaGroupcollectingmydetailsprovidedviathisforminaccordancewiththePrivacyPolicy THANKYOU Close ButweknowitsrootsareintheRomans’useofthetermlibrapondo,meaning“poundinweight”. Thiswaseventuallyshortenedto“lb”forlibra,andwhenEnglishspeakersbeganwritingthisabbreviation,theyputalittlelineacrossthetoptoindicatethecontraction. Contentfromourpartners Thelinkbetweenglobalanddomesticeventshasneverbeenclearer AnandMenon Thecost-of-livingcrisisishittingsmallbusinesses–LizTrussmustact Spotlight Howindustryiskeyfornetzero EdStainton “Aspeoplewrotethisfasterandfaster,itjustevolvedintothehashsymbol,”Houston,whohasinvestigatedthecharacter’sevolution,explains. Inthelateseventeenthcentury,IsaacNewtonwaswritingthe“lb”contraction,andEnglishprintershadmadeitanofficialcharacterbyhavingitpreservedinleadasasymboltobeusedinprinting.Butpreciselywhenwritersbecamecarelessenoughtoscribbleitas“#”isunclear.Itwasatsomepointafterthelateseventeenthcenturyandbeforethenineteenthcentury.IntheUS,itisstilloftenreferredtoasthepoundsign. Shebang! Otherthanthe poundsign,itisalsoknownasanumbersign,mainlyinAmerica.IntheUK,wecallithash(from“cross-hatch”),butithasawealthofother,morefun,names,includingcrunch,diamond,flash,tic-tac-toeandpig-pen. “Thisisoneoftheproblems,”lamentsHoustonofthesymbol’sconvolutedhistory.“Ithassomanynames.” It’sbeenaveryversatilesymbol,beingusedtoindicatenumbers,weight,checkmate,asharpmusicalnote,spacesbetweenwordsbyproofreaders,theendofpressreleases(whenwritteninatrio),and,today,hashtags. Italsohasanalternative,edgieridentitywhencoupledwithanexclamationmark:“shebang”(theratherbeautiful“#!”).Thisisalsoknownbytheequallysatisfying“hashbang”.It’saprogrammingsymbolusedbytheUNIXoperatingsystem(whichformsthebasisofLinux,Androidandothers). Yetitsmostobscureincarnationmustbeitslabelasthe“octothorpe”. Thenameoctothorpecameaboutwhenhashhitthephones.It’softenthoughtthatthehashkeybeganitslifeintheundignifiedroleasafunctionforsignifyingnumbersoverthephoneonautomatedcustomerservicesystems.ButitalreadyexistedonQwertytypewriterkeyboardsbeforeitreachedtelephonekeypads. AnAmericaninvention,theQwertydesignreachedkeyboardsinthe1870s.Houstonpointsoutthat“theuseofit[#]asanumbersymbolwasquitecommon.Soitwasimportantenoughtomakeitswayontothetypewriter.” Yetitwasmainlyusedby“thesortofpeoplewhowereusingtypewriters,businesspeople”,ratherthanthegeneralpublic.Thiswasalongwithitsbrother-in-resurgence“@”,whichwas,backthen,usedhumblyasanabbreviationfor“attherateof”–beforeitbecamethespiralledbackboneofemail. “Thekeyboardthatyouhave–andtheoneI’mlookingatatthemomentonmylaptop­­­–iseffectivelyabitofarelic,”Houstonenthuses.“Ithassomenewkeysonit,butit’sremainedlargelyunchangedforagood,what,I’mthinking,150yearsorso.Abitlessthanthat,maybe.Noonehadeverstoppedprintinghashmarks.Soitwasthere,itwasrecognised,butjustnotasespeciallywell-usedamongstthegreatmassofpeople.” Anditwasthetouch-tonetelephonethatbroughtthehashkeytothegrubbyfingersofthepublic.Alongwithitsfellowtraveller,theasterisk,hashwasaddedin1968tothepush-buttontelephonekeypad,whichwascreatedatBellLabs(ahistoriclaboratoryintheUSnamedafterAlexanderGrahamBell)inthe1950s. PissingoffGermans ItwasalsoatBellLabswherethehashsymbolwaschristenedtheoctothorpe.Butthisquirkymonikerhassomanyexplanations,itsstoryhasalmostdescendedintomyth. “Twoorthreedifferentpeoplehaveclaimedtohavecreatedit,”Houstonreveals.“Ifindthisamazing.I’vetalkedtooneoftheguyswhosaysheinventedit,andI’vetalkedtoanotherguywhosaidhepopularisedit.” ThefirsttheoryisthatsomeBellLabsemployeeswantedto“pissoff”internationalusersbyinventinganamethatisdifficulttosayinsomelanguages. “Theguywhohadtocomeupwithnameswasverybigonpickingsomethingwithinaninternationalstandard…hisco-workersthoughtthiswasridiculous:‘we’reanAmericancompany,whydowecare?’Sotheyinventedanamewitha‘th’,whichtheythoughttheGermanswouldhavetroublewith,forexample”,laughsHouston. AnotherpossiblederivationisthenameOglethorpe,afterJamesOglethorpe,theBritishgeneralwhofoundedtheUSstateofGeorgia,plus“octo”foreight–thenumberoflegsinthehashsign.Butthisexplanationhasonlyappearedinonedictionary. TheOEDproffersthestorythatfansofnativeAmericanathleteJimThorpe–whowasstrippedofhisOlympicmedalsduetoineligibilityforhavingdoneastintinprofessionalbasketball–atBellLabsnamedthesymbolafterhim. Thenthere’stheideaof“thorpe”beinganoldNorsewordforvillageortown(eg.Scunthorpe),andthecriss-crosspatternofthehashsignsuggestingaplotofeightfieldssurroundingavillage.But,asHoustonpointsout,“you’retalkingabout‘thorpe’whichcomesfromNorse,and‘octo’isGreek,soit’smaybeabitofareachtoimaginethatitsortofcameoutofnowhereratherthannaturallyformedthatway,sothere’snoproofofthat.” Avisualreminderofequality Sooncetheoctothorpe,whichnooneoutsideofcomputingortelecomsknewwascalledtheoctothorpe,wasafully-fledgedbuttonandkey,itstayedthatway.Neverquitesuperfluous,butalsoabitofamystery,itsatforeveratthetipsofourfingers,rarelybeingdeployed. “Itdoesn’tfeellikeitwasindecline,”Houstonobserves,“[but]itcertainlyfeltlikeitwasalwaysjustsortofpotteringalongundertheradar.Itdidn’thaveasinglekindofstarringroleinanything.” IaskRobertFulford,Canadianjournalist,authorandsymbolobsessive,abouttheenduringallureofthesymbol. “Whowantstoseethesebelovedsymbols,thesethingsthathaveservedussowell,whowantstoseethemforgotten?”heasks.“There’sthiscompetitivethinggoingonthere,betweensymbols. Likebluejeanshavewipedoutmostofthemarketforcertaintypesofpants,inthesamewaythere’llbevarioussymbolsthatgetwipedout,orsetaside.” HeistalkingtomeenthusiasticallyoverthephonefromToronto,andseemsgenuinelygratefulthatIamapparently“onlyoneofthetwopeopleintheworld”tohaveaskedhimaboutthesubjectheholdssodear,butadmitscaringaboutsymbolsisa“bizarre”interest. “Ijustimaginethesethingshavingapersonalityorpride,youknow?”hetellsme. ForFulford,thehashsymbol’spersonalityisoneofequality: “Theoctothorpeisbeautiful!It’sbeautiful!”hecries.“It’stheverydefinitionoforderliness,andithasapatternthatseemstosuggest,assomepeoplehavenoticed,acitysquareorapieceofproperty,dividedintoequalparts.It’sawonderfulpictureofequivalence;everythingisequal. “It’skindofanold-fashionedcommunistthing–Idon’tthinkcommunistsusedit,butithasthat‘equalityforeveryone’perception.Andasweknow,inequalityhasbecomethegreatproblemofthelast18monthsorso,andthatisavisualreminderofequality.” “Fornerds” PerhapsthiszeitgeistyaspectpointedoutbyFulfordwasafactorinthehashfindingitscelebritystatus.ItsuseasahashtagonTwitterhasbroughttheunassuminglittlepatternworldwideacclaim.Ithascrawledoutoneightlegsfromnumericalobscuritytoaworldofflashy24-hourmediaattention.Andit’sconsistentlytrending. However,italmostneverembarkedonitsTwittercareer. Inventorofthehashtagandself-proclaimed“typographylover”ChrisMessinarevealsthat,whenhemooteditin2007,withatweet(below),itwasn’tpopularwiththeTwittergods. howdoyoufeelaboutusing#(pound)forgroups.Asin#barcamp[msg]? —ChrisMessina™(@chrismessina)August23,2007 “Theydidn’tlikeit,”Messinarecalls.“Theysaiditwas‘fornerds’andwouldlikelynevercatchon.Twittereventuallyacquiredseveralcompaniesandapps(TweetieandSummizeinparticular–aMacappandTwittersearchenginerespectively)thathadalreadysupportedhashtags.Themorecompaniestheyacquiredthatsupportedhashtags,themoreinevitableitbecamethatTwitterwouldneedtoofficiallysupportthem.” Messina,whodidn’tworkatTwitterbutwasindevelopmentatGoogleatthetime,explainswhyhefeltTwitterneededahashtagtypefunctionatall: “IwantedtoofferasimplewayfortheTwittercommunitytoorganizeitself.Twitterdidn’tsupportgroups,soIfiguredthenextbestthingtodowastousethetextofatweettoindicatetopicality.” Butwhychoosethehashsign,orpound,ashecalledit?Thereasonisratherlessmysteriousthanthecharacter’shistory.Itwas“easytotypeonfeaturephones”,accordingtoMessina,andhadalsobeenusedpreviouslyonearlyinternetchatchannelstosignifyanameofachatroom.“Itseemedtomethatappropriatingsomethingthatwasalreadyusedelsewherewouldincreaseitschancesofadoption,”hemuses,“ratherthaninventingsomethingcompletelynew.” Andhewasright.Butitwasn’tjustapragmaticchoice.Messinaexpressesagenuineloveforthesymbol. “OfallthepossiblesymbolsIcouldhavechosen,IthinktheoctothorpewasthebestoneIcouldhavepicked,”hesays.“Asatypographylover,Idolikethelookofthesymbol.It’soneofthemoredensecharacters,soyoucanseeitfromadistanceorataglance– it’shardtomiss! “IguessI’vecometoreallyidentifywiththesymbol–it’squirkyandabitunderratedbuthadsomethingtoofferthatperhapsititselfhadn’tevenrealizedbefore.Icanrelatetothat.” Andso,itseems,can255milliontweeters.#History. AnooshChakelian @Anoosh_C AnooshChakelianisBritaineditoroftheNewStatesman.Shehoststheaward-winningNewStatesmanPodcastandco-presentstheWestminsterReimaginedpodcastserieswithArmandoIannucci.