View source for At sign

{{Short description|Typographical symbol (@)}}
{{Technical reasons|:@" and strings beginning with "@#|:@|List of emoticons|''@#!*''|Pulley (band)#Discography|''@#%&*! Smilers''|Fucking Smilers{{!}}''Fucking Smilers''}}
{{Infobox symbol
|mark           = @
|unicode        = {{unichar|0040|COMMERCIAL AT|html=}}
|see also       = {{unichar|FF20|FULLWIDTH COMMERCIAL AT|html=}}<br />{{unichar|FE6B|SMALL COMMERCIAL AT|html=}}
|different from = 
}}

The '''at sign''' ('''{{char|@}}''') is an [[accounting]] and [[invoice]] abbreviation meaning "at a rate of" (e.g. 7 [[Widget (economics)|widgets]] @ [[£]]2 per widget = £14),<ref>See, for example, Browns Index to Photocomposition Typography (p. 37), Greenwood Publishing, 1983, {{ISBN|0946824002}}</ref> now seen more widely in [[email]] addresses and [[social media]] platform [[User (computing)|handles]]. It is normally read aloud as "at" and is also commonly called the '''at symbol''', '''commercial at''', or '''address sign'''. Most languages have their own name for the symbol.<!-- The list is below -->

Although not included on the [[keyboard layout]] of the earliest commercially successful [[typewriter]]s, it was on at least one 1889 model<ref name="shady">[http://www.shadycharacters.co.uk/2011/08/the-symbol-part-2-of-2/ "The @-symbol, part 2 of 2"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225121941/http://www.shadycharacters.co.uk/2011/08/the-symbol-part-2-of-2/ |date=2014-12-25 }}, ''[http://www.shadycharacters.co.uk/ Shady Characters ⌂ The secret life of punctuation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141221071159/http://www.shadycharacters.co.uk/ |date=2014-12-21 }}''</ref> and the very successful [[Underwood Typewriter Company|Underwood]] models from the "Underwood No. 5" in 1900 onward. It started to be used in email addresses in the 1970s, and is now routinely included on most types of [[computer keyboard]]s.

== History ==
[[File:19-manasses-chronicle.jpg|180px|thumb|@ symbol used as the initial "a" for the "amin" (amen) formula in the Bulgarian 
 of the Manasses Chronicle, {{c.|1345}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.slav.2/0145 |title=Vat.slav.2, f. 62r |via=[[Vatican Library]] |access-date=2022-11-14 |archive-date=2022-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114160351/https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.slav.2/0145 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
[[File:Ariza1448-2.jpg|180px|thumb|The [[Aragonese people|Aragonese]] @ symbol used in the 1448 ''"taula de Ariza"'' registry to denote a wheat shipment from [[Crown of Castile|Castile]] to the [[Kingdom of Aragon]].<ref name="TaulaDeAriza1448">{{Cite web |title=La arroba no es de Sevilla (ni de Italia) |url=http://www.purnas.com/2009/06/30/la-arroba-no-es-de-sevilla-ni-de-italia |access-date=2009-06-30 |website=purnas.com |publisher=Jorge Romance |archive-date=2019-10-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022012805/http://www.purnas.com/2009/06/30/la-arroba-no-es-de-sevilla-ni-de-italia |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
[[File:1674 liten.jpg|180px|thumb|@ used to signify French "{{lang|fr|à}}" ("at") from a 1674 protocol from a [[Sweden|Swedish]] court ({{lang|sv|[[Arboga]] rådhusrätt och magistrat}})]]
The earliest yet discovered symbol in this shape is found in a [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] translation of a [[Greek language|Greek]] chronicle written by [[Constantine Manasses|Constantinos Manasses]] in 1345. Held today in the Vatican Apostolic Library, it features the @ symbol in place of the capital letter [[alpha]] "Α" as an [[initial]] in the word Amen; however, the reason behind it being used in this context is still unknown. The evolution of the symbol as used today is not recorded.

It has long been used in [[Catalan language|Catalan]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] as an abbreviation of ''[[arroba]]'', a unit of weight equivalent to 25 pounds, and derived from the [[Arabic]] expression of "the quarter" ({{lang|ar|الربع}} pronounced ''ar-rubʿ'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=arroba |url=http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=arroba |access-date=3 August 2012 |website=Diccionario de la Real Academia Española |archive-date=29 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029023131/http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=arroba |url-status=live }}</ref> A symbol resembling an @ is found in the Spanish "Taula de Ariza", a registry to denote a wheat shipment from Castile to Aragon, in 1448.<ref name="guardian 20000731" /> The historian Giorgio Stabile claims to have traced the @ symbol to the 16th century, in a mercantile document sent by [[Florence|Florentine]] Francesco Lapi from [[Seville]] to [[Rome]] on May 4, 1536.<ref name="guardian 20000731">{{Cite news |last=Willan |first=Philip |date=2000-07-31 |title=Merchant@Florence Wrote It First 500 Years Ago |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,3604,348744,00.html |access-date=2010-04-25 |archive-date=2022-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126032007/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2000/jul/31/internetnews.internationalnews |url-status=live }}</ref> The document is about commerce with [[Pizarro]], in particular the price of an @ of wine in [[Peru]]. Currently, the word ''arroba'' means both the at-symbol and a unit of weight. In [[Venetian language|Venetian]], the symbol was interpreted to mean [[amphora]] ({{lang|it|anfora}}), a unit of weight and volume based upon the capacity of the standard amphora jar since the 6th century. It could also mean “adi” (standard Italian “addì”, i. e. ‘on the day of’) as used on a health pass in Northern Italy in 1667.<ref>[https://geschichte-s-h.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Mitteilungen-100.pdf] Jürgen Beyer, ‘Gesundheitspässe und Impfatteste’, ''Gesellschaft für Schleswig-Holsteinische Geschichte. Mitteilungen'' 100 (2021), 21–29, reproduction on p. 26.</ref>

== Name ==
The name of the symbol arises from its original use in showing quantities and their price per unit{{snd}} for example, "10 widgets @ £1.50 each". The precise origin of the symbol is uncertain.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Britannica |title=at sign |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/at-sign |access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref>
 
The absence of a single English word for the symbol has prompted some writers to use the [[French language|French]] ''arobase'',<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n10/daniel-soar/short-cuts |title=Short Cuts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723221838/http://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n10/daniel-soar/short-cuts |archive-date=2012-07-23 |first=Daniel |last=Soar |volume= 31  |number=10 |date=28 May 2009 |page=18 |journal=London Review of Books}}</ref> to coin new words such as ''ampersat''<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bits and Bytes |first=David |last=Bowen  |date=23 October 2011 |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/bits-bytes-1317440.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709013247/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/bits-bytes-1317440.html |archive-date=9 July 2018 |quote=… Tim Gowens offered the highly logical "ampersat" ...}}}</ref> and ''asperand'',<ref name="asperand">{{Cite news |last=Jemima Kiss |date=28 March 2010 |title=New York's Moma claims @ as a design classic |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2010/mar/28/moma-asperand-ray-tomlinson-design |access-date=14 December 2016 |archive-date=5 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305004857/https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2010/mar/28/moma-asperand-ray-tomlinson-design |url-status=live }}</ref> or the (visual) onomatopoeia ''[[strudel]]'',<ref name="FOLDOC-strudel">{{Cite web |title=strudel |url=http://foldoc.org/strudel |access-date=2014-11-21 |publisher=FOLDOC |archive-date=2014-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129145120/http://foldoc.org/strudel |url-status=live }}</ref> but none of these have achieved wide use.

== Modern use ==

=== Commercial usage ===
In contemporary English usage, @ is a commercial symbol, meaning ''at'' and ''at the rate of'' or ''at the price of''. It has rarely been used in financial ledgers, and is not used in standard [[typography]].<ref>[[Bringhurst, Robert]] (2002). ''[[The Elements of Typographic Style]]'' (version 2.5), p.272. Vancouver: Hartley & Marks. {{ISBN|0-88179-133-4}}.</ref>

=== Trademark ===
In 2012, "@" was registered as a [[trademark]] with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office.<ref>German Patent and Trademark Office, registration number [https://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/marke/register/3020120383386/DE?lang=en 302012038338] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102053509/http://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/marke/register/3020120383386/DE?lang=en |date=2012-11-02 }}.</ref> A cancellation request was filed in 2013, and the cancellation was ultimately confirmed by the German Federal Patent Court in 2017.<ref>Bundespatentgericht, decision of 22 February 2017, no. 26 W (pat) 44/14 ([http://juris.bundespatentgericht.de/cgi-bin/rechtsprechung/document.py?Gericht=bpatg&Art=en&Datum=Aktuell&Sort=12288&nr=29334&pos=1&anz=162&Blank=1.pdf online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322140609/http://juris.bundespatentgericht.de/cgi-bin/rechtsprechung/document.py?Gericht=bpatg&Art=en&Datum=Aktuell&Sort=12288&nr=29334&pos=1&anz=162&Blank=1.pdf |date=2019-03-22 }}).</ref>

=== Email addresses ===
A common contemporary use of @ is in [[email address]]es (using the [[SMTP]] system), as in <code>jdoe@example.com</code> (the user <code>jdoe</code> located ''at'' the domain <code>example.com</code>). [[Ray Tomlinson]] of [[BBN Technologies]] is credited for having introduced this usage in 1971.<ref name=asperand /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ray Tomlinson |author-link=Ray Tomlinson |title=The First Email |url=http://openmap.bbn.com/~tomlinso/ray/firstemailframe.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060506003539/http://openmap.bbn.com/~tomlinso/ray/firstemailframe.html |archive-date=2006-05-06 |publisher=[[BBN Technologies]]}}</ref> This idea of the symbol representing ''located at'' in the form <code>user@host</code> is also seen in other tools and protocols; for example, the [[Unix shell]] command <code>ssh jdoe@example.net</code> tries to establish an [[ssh]] connection to the computer with the [[hostname]] <code>example.net</code> using the username <code>jdoe</code>.

On web pages, organizations often obscure the email addresses of their members or employees by omitting the @. This practice, known as [[address munging]], attempts to make the email addresses less vulnerable to spam programs that scan the internet for them.

=== Social media ===
{{Further|Mention (blogging)}}
On many social media platforms and forums, [[User (computing)|usernames or handles]] prefixed with an @ (in the form <code>@johndoe</code>) are interpreted as [[Mention (blogging)|mentions]] of that user and may be treated specially.

On online forums without [[threaded discussion]]s, @ is commonly used to denote a reply; for instance: <code>@Jane</code> to respond to a comment Jane made earlier. Similarly, in some cases, @ is used for "attention" in email messages originally sent to someone else. For example, if an email was sent from Catherine to Steve, but in the body of the email, Catherine wants to make Keirsten aware of something, Catherine will start the line {{code|@Keirsten}} to signal to Keirsten that the following sentence concerns her.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} This also helps with mobile email users who might not see bold or color in email.

In [[microblogging]] (such as on [[Twitter]], [[GNU social]]- and [[ActivityPub]]-based microblogs), an @ before the user name is used to send publicly readable replies (e.g. <code>@otheruser: Message text here</code>). The blog and client system interpret these as links to the user in question. When included as part of a person's or company's contact details, an @ symbol followed by a name is normally understood to refer to a Twitter handle. A similar use of the @ symbol was added to Facebook on September 15, 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tag Friends in Your Status and Posts – Facebook Blog |url=http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=109765592130 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026120029/http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=109765592130 |archive-date=2009-10-26}}</ref> In [[Internet Relay Chat]] (IRC), it is shown before users' nicknames to denote they have operator status on a channel.

=== Sports usage ===
In [[American English]] the @ can be used to add information about a sporting event. Where opposing sports teams have their names separated by a "v" (for [[wikt:versus|versus]]), the [[Road (sports)|away team]] can be written first – and the normal "v" replaced with @ to convey at which team's home field the game will be played.<ref>For an example, see: http://www.nfl.com/schedules {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623181004/http://www.nfl.com/schedules |date=2011-06-23 }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=February 2024}} This usage is not followed in [[British English]], since conventionally the home team is written first.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

=== Computer languages ===
@ is used in various [[programming language]]s and other [[computer language]]s, although there is not a consistent theme to its usage. For example:
* In [[ActionScript]], @ is used in XML parsing and traversal as a string prefix to identify attributes in contrast to child elements.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Operators – Adobe ActionScript® 3 (AS3) API Reference |url=https://help.adobe.com/en_US/FlashPlatform/reference/actionscript/3/operators.html#attribute_identifier |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=help.adobe.com |language=en-us |archive-date=2023-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512112456/https://help.adobe.com/en_US/FlashPlatform/reference/actionscript/3/operators.html#attribute_identifier |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[Ada (programming language)|Ada]] 2022, @ is the ''target name'' symbol, an abbreviation of the [[Sides of an equation|LHS]] of an assignment; it is used to avoid repetition of potentially long names in assignment statements.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ada-auth.org/standards/22rm/html/rm-5-2-1.html |title=Ada Reference Manual (Ada 2022). Target Name Symbols |website=ada-auth.org |access-date=2024-07-16}}</ref> For example: <code>A_Very_Long_Variable_Name := A_Very_Long_Variable_Name + 1;</code> is shortened to <code>A_Very_Long_Variable_Name := @ + 1;</code>, increasing readability.
* In [[ALGOL 68]], the @ symbol is ''brief form'' of the '''at''' [[keyword (computer programming)|keyword]]; it is used to change the lower bound of an array. For example: {{code|arrayx[@88]}} refers to an array starting at index 88.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=van Wijngaarden |first=A. |date=1981-08-16 |title=Revised Report of the Algorithmic Language Algol 68 |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/1064084.1064085 |journal=ALGOL Bulletin |issue=Sup 47 |pages=121, 532 |doi= |issn=0084-6198 |access-date=2023-05-12 |archive-date=2023-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512112455/https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/1064084.1064085 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In Dyalog [[APL (programming language)|APL]], @ is used as a functional way to modify or replace data '''at''' specific locations in an array.
* In the [[ASP.NET MVC]] [[Microsoft ASP.NET Razor view engine|Razor]] template markup syntax, the @ character denotes the start of code statement blocks or the start of text content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Phil Haack |title=Razor syntax quick reference |date=6 January 2011 |url=http://haacked.com/archive/2011/01/06/razor-syntax-quick-reference.aspx |access-date=12 January 2013 |archive-date=26 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126032007/http://haacked.com/archive/2011/01/06/razor-syntax-quick-reference.aspx/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ASP.NET MVC 3: Razor's @: and &lt;text&gt; syntax |url=https://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/asp-net-mvc-3-razor-s-and-lt-text-gt-syntax |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=weblogs.asp.net |date=16 December 2010 |language=en-US |archive-date=2020-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726111727/https://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/asp-net-mvc-3-razor-s-and-lt-text-gt-syntax |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[Assembly language]], @ is sometimes used as a [[dereference operator]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=assembly – @ sign in assembler? – Stack Overflow |url=https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11214675/sign-in-assembler |website=stackoverflow.com |access-date=2021-05-02 |archive-date=2021-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005220705/https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11214675/sign-in-assembler |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[CSS]], @ is used in special statements outside of a CSS block.<ref>{{Cite web |title=At-rules |url=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/At-rule |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=MDN Web Docs |language=en |archive-date=2020-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505194617/https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/At-rule |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]], it denotes "verbatim strings", where no characters are escaped and two double-quote characters represent a single double-quote.<ref>[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa691090%28v=vs.71%29.aspx 2.4.4.5 String literals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805045534/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa691090(v=vs.71).aspx |date=2012-08-05 }},</ref> As a prefix it also allows keywords to be used as [[identifier (computer programming)|identifiers]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=2.4.2 Identifiers |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa664670%28v=vs.71%29.aspx |access-date=2012-08-16 |archive-date=2012-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810204003/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa664670(v=vs.71).aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> a form of [[Stropping (syntax)|stropping]].
* In [[D (programming language)|D]], it denotes function attributes: like: <code>@safe</code>, <code>@nogc</code>, user defined <code>@('from_user')</code> which can be evaluated at compile time (with <code>__traits</code>) or <code>@property</code> to declare properties, which are functions that can be syntactically treated as if they were fields or variables.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Attributes – D Programming Language |url=https://dlang.org/spec/attribute.html |website=dlang.org |access-date=2018-06-22 |archive-date=2018-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208115642/https://dlang.org/spec/attribute.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[DIGITAL Command Language]], the @ character was the command used to execute a command procedure. To run the command procedure VMSINSTAL.COM, one would type <code>@VMSINSTAL</code> at the command prompt.
* In the [[Domain Name System]] (DNS), @ is used to represent the {{code|$ORIGIN}}, typically the "root" of the domain without a prefixed sub-domain. (Ex: wikipedia.org vs. www.wikipedia.org)
* In [[Forth (programming language)|Forth]], it is used to fetch values from the address on the top of the stack. The operator is pronounced as "fetch".
* In [[Haskell]], it is used in so-called ''as-patterns''. This notation can be used to give aliases to [[pattern matching|patterns]], making them more readable.
* in [[HTML]], it can be encoded as <code>&amp;commat;</code><ref>{{cite web |url=https://dev.w3.org/html5/html-author/charref |title=Character Entity Reference Chart |date= |website=[[World Wide Web Consortium]] (W3C) |access-date=2022-02-08 |archive-date=2021-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227130216/https://dev.w3.org/html5/html-author/charref |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[J (programming language)|J]], denotes [[function composition]].
* In [[Java (programming language)|Java]], it has been used to denote [[Java annotation|annotations]], a kind of metadata, since version 5.0.<ref>{{Cite web |title=in java what does the @ symbol mean? |url=https://stackoverflow.com/questions/31822020/in-java-what-does-the-symbol-mean |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=Stack Overflow |archive-date=2020-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726125845/https://stackoverflow.com/questions/31822020/in-java-what-does-the-symbol-mean |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[Julia (programming language)|Julia]], it denotes the invocation of a macro.<ref>{{cite web |title=Metaprogramming · The Julia Language |url=https://docs.julialang.org/en/v1/manual/metaprogramming/#man-macros |website=docs.julialang.org |access-date=2023-08-23 |archive-date=2023-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623204719/https://docs.julialang.org/en/v1/manual/metaprogramming/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[LiveCode]], it is prefixed to a parameter to indicate that the parameter is [[Pass by reference|passed by reference]].
* In an [[LXDE]] autostart file (as used, for example, on the [[Raspberry Pi]] computer), @ is prefixed to a command to indicate that the command should be automatically re-executed if it crashes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LXSession - LXDE.org |url=https://wiki.lxde.org/en/LXSession#Settings |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=wiki.lxde.org |archive-date=2020-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714075921/https://wiki.lxde.org/en/LXSession#Settings |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In a [[Makefile]], @ specifies to not output the command before it is executed.
* In [[ML (programming language)|ML]], it denotes list concatenation.
* In [[modal logic]], specifically when representing [[possible world]]s, @ is sometimes used as a logical symbol to denote the actual world (the world we are "at").
* In [[Objective-C]], @ is prefixed to language-specific keywords such as @implementation and to form string literals.
* In InterSystems [[Caché ObjectScript|ObjectScript]], @ is the indirection operator, enabling dynamic runtime substitution of part or all of a command line, a command, or a command argument.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indirection – InterSystems IRIS Documentation|url=https://docs.intersystems.com/irislatest/csp/docbook/DocBook.UI.Page.cls?KEY=RCOS_op_indirection|access-date=2025-01-31|website=docs.intersystems.com|language=en-us|url-status=live}}</ref>
* In [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]], @ is the "address of" operator (it tells the location at which a variable is found).
* In [[Perl]], @ prefixes [[Variable (programming)|variables]] which contain [[Array data structure|arrays]] {{code|@array}}, including array [[Array slicing#1987: Perl|slices]] {{code|@array[2..5,7,9]}} and [[Hash table#Associative arrays|hash]] slices {{code|@hash{'foo', 'bar', 'baz'}|perl}} or {{code|@hash{qw(foo bar baz)}|perl}}. This use is known as a ''[[Sigil (computer programming)|sigil]]''.
* In [[PHP]], it is used just before an [[Expression (programming)|expression]] to make the [[Interpreter (computing)|interpreter]] suppress errors that would be generated from that expression.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PHP: Error Control Operators – Manual |url=https://www.php.net/manual/en/language.operators.errorcontrol.php |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=www.php.net |archive-date=2020-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508094533/https://www.php.net/manual/en/language.operators.errorcontrol.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[Python (programming language)|Python]] 2.4 and up, it is used to [[Python syntax and semantics#Decorators|decorate a function]] (wrap the function in another one at creation time). In Python 3.5 and up, it is also used as an [[Overload (programming)|overloadable]] [[matrix multiplication]] operator.<ref>{{Cite web |title=syntax – What does the "at" (@) symbol do in Python? |url=https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6392739/what-does-the-at-symbol-do-in-python |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=Stack Overflow |archive-date=2020-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424180918/https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6392739/what-does-the-at-symbol-do-in-python |url-status=live }}</ref>
*In [[R (programming language)|R]] and [[S-PLUS]], it is used to extract slots from S4 objects.<ref>{{Cite web |title= The S4 object system |url=http://adv-r.had.co.nz/S4.html |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=adv-r.had.co.nz/ |archive-date=2022-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206085835/http://adv-r.had.co.nz/S4.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*In [[ASP.NET Razor|Razor]], it is used for [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]] code blocks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Usage of the @ (at) sign in ASP.NET |url=https://www.mikesdotnetting.com/article/258/usage-of-the-at-sign-in-asp-net |access-date=2020-04-30 |website=www.mikesdotnetting.com |archive-date=2020-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404105645/http://www.mikesdotnetting.com/article/258/usage-of-the-at-sign-in-asp-net |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]], it functions as a sigil: <code>@</code> prefixes [[instance variable]]s, and <code>@@</code> prefixes [[class variable]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=syntax – What does @@variable mean in Ruby? |url=https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5890118/what-does-variable-mean-in-ruby |access-date=2020-05-05 |website=Stack Overflow |archive-date=2020-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726105629/https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5890118/what-does-variable-mean-in-ruby |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[Rust (programming language)|Rust]], it is used to bind values matched by a pattern to a variable.<ref>{{cite web |title=Patterns |url=https://doc.rust-lang.org/reference/patterns.html#identifier-patterns |website=The Rust Reference |access-date=21 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618030139/https://doc.rust-lang.org/reference/patterns.html#identifier-patterns |archive-date=18 June 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* In [[Scala (programming language)|Scala]], it is used to denote annotations (as in Java), and also to bind names to subpatterns in pattern-matching expressions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scala @ operator |url=https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2359014/scala-operator |access-date=2020-05-05 |website=Stack Overflow |archive-date=2020-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726112338/https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2359014/scala-operator |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[Swift (programming language)|Swift]], <code>@</code> prefixes "annotations" that can be applied to classes or members. Annotations tell the compiler to apply special semantics to the declaration like keywords, without adding keywords to the language.
* In [[T-SQL]], <code>@</code> prefixes variables and <code>@@</code> prefixes "niladic" system functions.
* In several [[xBase]]-type programming languages, like [[DBASE]], [[FoxPro]]/[[Visual FoxPro]] and [[Clipper (programming language)|Clipper]], it is used to denote position on the screen. For example: {{code|@1,1 SAY "HELLO"|xbase}} to show the word "HELLO" in line 1, column 1.
** In FoxPro/Visual FoxPro, it is also used to indicate explicit [[pass by reference]] of variables when calling [[Subroutine|procedures or functions]] (but it is not an [[Memory address|address]] [[Operator (programming)|operator]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Visual FoxPro Programming Language Online Help: SET UDFPARMS (Command), or MSDN Library 'How to: Pass Data to Parameters by Reference'. |date=18 June 2008 |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/z9b11381.aspx |access-date=2011-02-19 |publisher=Microsoft, Inc. |archive-date=2012-10-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022193155/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/z9b11381.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In a Windows [[Batch file]], an <code>@</code> at the start of a line suppresses the [[Echo (command)|echoing]] of that command. In other words, is the same as <code>ECHO OFF</code> applied to the current line only. Normally a Windows command is executed and takes effect from the next line onward, but <code>@</code> is a rare example of a command that takes effect immediately. It is most commonly used in the form {{code|@echo off}} which not only switches off echoing but prevents the command line itself from being echoed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=echo |url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/echo |website=docs.microsoft.com |access-date=2018-09-11 |archive-date=2018-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911191929/https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/echo |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Echo - Windows CMD - SS64.com |url=https://ss64.com/nt/echo.html |website=ss64.com |access-date=2018-09-11 |archive-date=2018-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911191818/https://ss64.com/nt/echo.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In [[Windows PowerShell]], @ is used as array operator for array and hash table literals and for enclosing here-string literals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Windows PowerShell Language Specification Version 3.0 |url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36389 |website=Microsoft Download Center |access-date=2013-10-29 |archive-date=2022-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126032007/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36389 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Gender neutrality in Spanish ===
[[File:Madrid - Acampada Sol - 110521 192211.jpg|right|upright|thumb|Protester with banner showing "La revolución está en nosotr@s"]]
{{Main|Gender neutrality in Spanish}}
In [[Spanish language|Spanish]], where many words end in "-o" when in the masculine [[Grammatical gender|gender]] and end "-a" in the feminine, @ is sometimes used as a [[gender-neutral pronoun|gender-neutral]] substitute for the default "o" ending.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Martell-Otero |first=Loida |date=Fall 2009 |title=Doctoral Studies as Llamamiento, or How We All Need to be 'Ugly Betty' |journal=Perspectivas |pages=84–106}}</ref> For example, the word ''amigos'' traditionally represents not only male friends, but also a mixed group, or where the genders are not known. The proponents of gender-inclusive language would replace it with ''amig@s'' in these latter two cases, and use ''amigos'' only when the group referred to is all-male and ''amigas'' only when the group is all female. The [[Real Academia Española]] disapproves of this usage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diccionario panhispánico de dudas |url=https://www.rae.es/dpd/ |website=«Diccionario panhispánico de dudas» |access-date=2021-04-02 |archive-date=2021-04-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406113617/https://www.rae.es/dpd/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Other uses and meanings ===
{{More citations needed|date=November 2021}}
[[File:Atletter.svg|right|thumb|150px|[[Bicameral script|Bicameral]] @ letter as used in the [[Koalib language]].]]
[[File:OCR-A char Commercial At.svg|right|thumb|75px|[[X-SAMPA]] uses an @ as a substitute for [[ə]], which it resembles in some fonts.]]
* In (especially English) scientific and technical literature, @ is used to describe the conditions under which data are valid or a measurement has been made. E.g. the density of saltwater may read ''d'' = 1.050 g/cm<sup>3</sup> @ 15&nbsp;°C (read "at" for @), density of a gas ''d'' = 0.150 g/L @ 20&nbsp;°C, 1 bar, or noise of a car 81&nbsp;dB @ 80&nbsp;km/h (speed).<ref name="getproofed">{{cite web |title=When to Use the At Symbol (@) in Writing |url=https://getproofed.com/writing-tips/when-to-use-the-at-symbol-in-writing/ |access-date=10 November 2021 |date=11 December 2019 |archive-date=10 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110171325/https://getproofed.com/writing-tips/when-to-use-the-at-symbol-in-writing/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
*In [[philosophical logic]], '@' is used to denote the actual world (in contrast to non-actual possible worlds).{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} Analogously, a 'designated' world in a [[Kripke semantics|Kripke model]] may be labelled '@'.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* In chemical formulae, @ is used to denote [[Chemical formula#Trapped atoms|trapped atoms]] or molecules.<ref name="YanChai">{{Cite journal |last1=Chai, Yan |last2=Guo, Ting |last3=Jin, Changming |last4=Haufler, Robert E. |last5=Chibante, L. P. Felipe |last6=Fure, Jan |last7=Wang, Lihong |last8=Alford, J. Michael |last9=Smalley, Richard E. |year=1991 |title=Fullerenes wlth Metals Inside |journal=Journal of Physical Chemistry |volume=95 |issue=20 |pages=7564–7568 |doi=10.1021/j100173a002}}</ref> For instance, La@C<sub>60</sub> means [[lanthanum]] inside a [[fullerene]] cage. See article [[Endohedral fullerene]] for details.
* In [[Malagasy language|Malagasy]], @ is an informal abbreviation for the prepositional form ''amin'ny''.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* In [[Malay language|Malay]], @ is an informal abbreviation for the word "atau", meaning "or" in English.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* In [[genetics]], @ is the abbreviation for [[locus (genetics)|locus]], as in [[IGL@]] for ''immunoglobulin lambda locus''.<ref>{{cite web |title=IGL immunoglobulin lambda locus [Homo sapiens (human)] |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene?Db=gene&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=3535 |access-date=10 November 2021}}</ref>
* In the [[Koalib language]] of [[Sudan]], @ is used as a letter in [[Arabic]] [[loanwords]]. The [[Unicode Consortium]] rejected a proposal to encode it separately as a letter in [[Unicode]]. [[SIL International]] uses [[Private Use Area]] code points U+F247 and U+F248 for lowercase and capital versions, although they have marked this PUA representation as [[deprecated]] since September 2014.<ref name="SILPUA">Constable, Peter, and Lorna A. Priest (January 17, 2019) [http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&item_id=SILPUAassignments ''SIL Corporate PUA Assignments 5.2a''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223081253/http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&item_id=SILPUAassignments |date=2010-02-23 }}. [http://www.sil.org/ SIL International] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201070851/http://www.sil.org/ |date=2007-12-01 }}. pp. 59–60. Retrieved on July 20, 2020.</ref>
* A [[schwa]], as the actual schwa character "ə" may be difficult to produce on many computers. It is used in this capacity in some [[Comparison of ASCII encodings of the International Phonetic Alphabet|ASCII IPA schemes]], including [[SAMPA]] and [[X-SAMPA]].{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* In [[leet]] it may substitute for the letter "A".{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* It is frequently used in typing and [[text messaging]] as an abbreviation for "at".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Crystal |first1=David |title=Txtng: the gr8 db8 |date=2008 |publisher=New York: Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-162340-0 |pages=131–137 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pKBnEGwmtZoC&pg=PA131 |access-date=2021-11-10 |archive-date=2021-11-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110182712/https://books.google.com/books?id=pKBnEGwmtZoC&pg=PA131 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="getproofed" />
* In Portugal it may be used in typing and text messaging with the meaning "[[french kiss]]" (''linguado'').{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* In online discourse, @ is used by some [[anarchists]] as a substitute for the traditional [[circle-A]].{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* Algebraic notation for the [[Crazyhouse]] chess variant: An @ between a piece and a square denotes a piece dropped onto that square from the player's reserve.<ref name="ficshelp">{{cite web|date=2008-02-28|title=crazyhouse|url=http://www.freechess.org/Help/HelpFiles/crazyhouse.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416133658/http://www.freechess.org/Help/HelpFiles/crazyhouse.html|archive-date=2014-04-16|access-date=2014-04-17|work=FICS Help|publisher=[[Free Internet Chess Server]]}}</ref>
* In many [[roguelike]] games, @ is used to represent the player character.
* In Spain and Portugal, the ''[[Arroba]]'', abbreviated using the @ sign, is a customary unit of weight, mass or volume. The name ''arroba'' is used in both countries for the @ sign more generally.

== Names in other languages ==
In many languages other than English, although most typewriters included the symbol, the use of @ was less common before email became widespread in the mid-1990s. Consequently, it is often perceived in those languages as denoting "the Internet", computerization, or modernization in general. Naming the symbol after animals is also common.
* In [[Afrikaans]], it is called {{lang|af|aapstert}}, meaning 'monkey tail', similarly to the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] use of the word ({{wikt-lang|nl|aap}} is the word for 'monkey' or 'ape' in [[Dutch language|Dutch]], {{wikt-lang|af|stert}} comes from the Dutch {{wikt-lang|nl|staart}}).
* In [[Arabic]], it is {{lang|ar|آتْ}} ({{lang|ar-Latn|at}}).
* In [[Armenian language|Armenian]], it is {{wikt-lang|hy|շնիկ}} ({{lang|hy-Latn|shnik}}), which means 'puppy'.
* In [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]], it is {{lang|az|ət}} ({{lang|az-Latn|at}}) which means 'meat', though most likely it is a phonetic transliteration of ''at''.
* In [[Basque language|Basque]], it is {{lang|eu|a bildua}} ('wrapped A').
* In [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]], it is called {{wikt-lang|be|сьлімак}} ({{lang|be-Latn|sʹlimak}}, meaning 'helix' or 'snail').
* In [[Bosnian language|Bosnian]], it is {{lang|bs|ludo a}} ('crazy A').
* In [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], it is called {{lang|bg|кльомба}} ({{lang|bg-Latn|klyomba}} – 'a badly written letter'), {{lang|bg|маймунско а}} ({{lang|bg-Latn|maymunsko a}} – 'monkey A'), {{lang|bg|маймунка}} ({{lang|bg-Latn|maimunka}} – 'little monkey'), or {{lang|bg|баница}} ({{lang|bg-Latn|banitsa}} – a pastry roll often made in a shape similar to the character)
* In [[Catalan language|Catalan]], it is called {{wikt-lang|ca|arrova}} (a unit of measure)<!-- no quote marks, it's a definition not a gloss --> or {{lang|ca|[[ensaïmada]]}} (a [[Mallorca]]n pastry, because of the similar shape of this food).
* In [[Chinese language|Chinese]]:
** In [[mainland China]], it used to be called {{wikt-lang|zh|圈|圈A}} (pronounced {{lang|zh-Latn|quān A}}), meaning 'circled A' / '[[enclosed A]]', or {{wikt-lang|zh|花|花A}} (pronounced {{lang|zh-Latn|huā A}}), meaning 'lacy A', and sometimes as {{wikt-lang|zh|小老鼠}} (pronounced {{lang|zh-Latn|xiǎo lǎoshǔ}}), meaning 'little [[mouse]]'.<ref name="esteem">{{Cite news |last=Alice Rawsthorn |date=March 21, 2010 |title=Why @ Is Held in Such High Design Esteem |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/arts/design/22iht-design22.html |url-status=live |access-date=April 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324133723/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/arts/design/22iht-design22.html |archive-date=March 24, 2010}}</ref> Nowadays, for most of China's youth, it is called {{wikt-lang|zh|艾特}} (pronounced {{lang|zh-Latn|ài tè}}), which is a phonetic transcription of ''at''.
** In [[Taiwan]], it is {{wikt-lang|zh|小老鼠}} (pronounced {{lang|zh-Latn|xiǎo lǎoshǔ}}), meaning 'little [[mouse]]'.
** In [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]], it is ''at''.
* In [[Croatian language|Croatian]], it is most often referred to by the English word ''at'' (pronounced ''et''), and less commonly and more formally, with the preposition {{wikt-lang|sh|pri}} (with the addressee in the [[nominative case]], not [[locative]] as per usual [[rection]] of {{lang|hr|pri}}), meaning 'at', '{{lang|fr|chez}}' or 'by'. Informally, it is called a {{wikt-lang|sh|manki}}, coming from the local pronunciation of the English word ''monkey''. Note that the Croatian words for monkey, {{wikt-lang|sh|majmun}}, {{wikt-lang|sh|opica}}, {{lang|hr|jopec}}, {{lang|hr|šimija}} are not used to denote the symbol, except seldom the latter words regionally. 
* In [[Czech language|Czech]] it is called {{wikt-lang|cs|zavináč}}, which means '[[rollmops]]'; the same word is used in [[Slovak language|Slovak]].
* In [[Danish language|Danish]], it is {{wikt-lang|da|snabel-a}} ('[[elephant]]'s trunk A'). It is not used for prices, where in Danish {{wikt-lang|da|à}} means 'at (per piece)'.
* In [[Dutch language|Dutch]], it is called {{wikt-lang|nl|apenstaart}} ('monkey's tail'). The ''a'' is the first character of the Dutch word {{wikt-lang|nl|aap}} which means 'monkey' or 'ape'; {{wikt-lang|nl|apen}} is the plural of {{lang|nl|aap}}. However, the use of the English ''at'' has become increasingly popular in Dutch.
* In [[Esperanto]], it is called {{wikt-lang|eo|ĉe|ĉe-signo}} ('at'&nbsp;– for the email use, with an address like "zamenhof@esperanto.org" pronounced {{lang|eo|zamenhof ĉe esperanto punkto org}}), {{wikt-lang|eo|po|po-signo}} ('each' – refers only to the mathematical use), or {{wikt-lang|eo|heliko}} (meaning 'snail').
* In [[Estonian language|Estonian]], it is called {{lang|et|ätt}}, from the English word ''at''.
* In [[Faroese language|Faroese]], it is {{wikt-lang|fo|kurla}}, {{wikt-lang|fo|hjá}} ('at'), {{lang|fo|tranta}}, or {{lang|fo|snápil-a}} ('[elephant's] trunk A').
* In [[Finnish language|Finnish]], it was originally called {{wikt-lang|fi|taksamerkki}} ("fee sign") or {{wikt-lang|fi|yksikköhinta|yksikköhinnan merkki}} ("unit price sign"), but these names are long obsolete and now rarely understood. Nowadays, it is officially {{wikt-lang|fi|ät-merkki}}, according to the national standardization institute [[Finnish Standards Association|SFS]]; frequently also spelled {{lang|fi|at-merkki}}. Other names include {{wikt-lang|fi|kissanhäntä}} ('cat's tail') and {{wikt-lang|fi|miuku mauku}} ('miaow-meow') or short; “miu-mau”.
* In [[French language|French]], it is now officially the {{wikt-lang|fr|arobase}}<ref>[http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/at-last-france-has-a-name-for-the-sign-1.98600 "At last, France has a name for the @ sign"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819130731/http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/at-last-france-has-a-name-for-the-sign-1.98600 |date=2012-08-19 }}, December 9, 2002, iol.co.za</ref><ref>{{lang|fr|''Orthographe fixée par la Commission générale de terminologie et de néologie'' (Journal officiel du 8 décembre 2002)|italic=unset}}</ref> (also spelled {{lang|fr|arrobase}} or {{wikt-lang|fr|arrobe}}), or {{lang|fr-CA|a commercial}} (though this is most commonly used in French-speaking Canada, and should normally only be used when quoting prices; it should always be called {{lang|fr|arobase}} or, better yet, {{lang|fr|arobas}} when in an email address). Its origin is the same as that of the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word, which could be derived from the [[Arabic]] {{lang|ar-Latn|ar-roub}} ({{wikt-lang|ar|&rlm;ربع&lrm;|اَلرُّبْع}}).<!-- bidi marks to prevent browsers making source editing confusing --> In France, it is also common (especially for younger generations) to say the English word ''at'' when spelling out an email address.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}} In everyday [[Québec French]], one often hears {{lang|fr-CA|a commercial}} when sounding out an e-mail address, while TV and radio hosts are more likely to use {{lang|fr|arobase}}. 
* In [[Georgian language|Georgian]], it is {{lang|ka-Latn|at}}, spelled {{lang|ka|ეთ–ი}} ({{wikt-lang|ka|კომერციული|კომერციული ეთ–ი}}, {{lang|ka-Latn|ḳomerciuli et-i}}).
* In [[German language|German]], it has sometimes been referred to as {{lang|de|Klammeraffe}} (meaning '[[spider monkey]]') or {{lang|de|Affenschwanz}} (meaning '[[monkey]] [[tail]]'). {{lang|de|Klammeraffe}} or {{lang|de|Affenschwanz}} refer to the similarity of @ to the tail of a monkey.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paola Antonelli |author-link=Paola Antonelli |date=March 22, 2010 |title=@ at MoMA |url=https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2010/03/22/at-moma/ |quote=Germans, Poles, and South Africans call @ “monkey’s tail” in each different language. |access-date=April 5, 2018 }}</ref> More recently,{{when|date=March 2024}} it is commonly referred to as {{lang|de|at}}, as in English.
* In [[Greek language|Greek]], it is called {{Wikt-lang|el|παπάκι|i=yes}} meaning 'duckling'.
* In [[Greenlandic language|Greenlandic]], an Inuit language, it is called {{wikt-lang|kl|-usaq|aajusaq}} meaning 'A-like' or 'something that looks like A'.
* In [[Hebrew]], it is colloquially known as {{wikt-lang |1=he |2=&rlm;שטרודל&lrm; |3=שְׁטְרוּדֶל }}<!-- bidi marks to prevent browsers making source editing confusing --> ({{lang|he-Latn|[[strudel|shtrúdel]]}}), due to the visual resemblance to a cross-section cut of a [[strudel]] cake. The normative term, invented by the [[Academy of the Hebrew Language]], is {{wikt-lang |1=he |2=&rlm;כרוכית&lrm; |3=כְּרוּכִית }} ({{lang|he-Latn|krukhít}}), which is another Hebrew word for 'strudel', but is rarely used.
* In [[Hindi]], it is {{lang|hi-Latn|at}}, from the English word.
* In [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], it is called {{wikt-lang|hu|kukac}} (a playful synonym for 'worm' or 'maggot').
* In [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]], it is referred to as {{wikt-lang|is|merki|atmerkið}} ("the at sign") or {{wikt-lang|is|hjá}}, which is a direct translation of the English word ''at''.
* In [[Indian English]], speakers often say ''at the rate of'' (with e-mail addresses quoted as "example ''at the rate of'' example.com").{{citation needed |date=October 2019 }}
* In [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]], it is usually {{lang|id|et}}. Variations exist&nbsp;– especially if verbal communication is very noisy&nbsp;– such as {{wikt-lang|id|bundar|a bundar}} and {{wikt-lang|id|bulat|a bulat}} (both meaning '[[circle]]d A'), {{wikt-lang|id|keong|a keong}} ('[[snail]] A'), and (most rarely) {{wikt-lang|id|monyet|a monyet}} ('[[monkey]] A').
* In [[Irish language|Irish]], it is {{wikt-lang|ga|ag}} (meaning 'at') or {{wikt-lang|ga|comhartha|comhartha @/ag}} (meaning 'at sign').
* In [[Italian language|Italian]], it is {{wikt-lang|it|chiocciola}} ('[[snail]]') or {{wikt-lang|it|commerciale|a commerciale}}, sometimes {{lang|it|at}} (pronounced more often {{IPA|it|ˈɛt|}} and rarely {{IPA|[ˈat]}}) or {{wikt-lang|it|ad}}.
* In [[Japanese language|Japanese]], it is called {{wikt-lang|ja-Latn|atto māku}} ({{wikt-lang|ja-Kana|アットマーク}}, from the English words ''at mark''). The word is {{lang|ja-Latn|[[wasei-eigo]]}}, a loan word from the English language.
* In [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]], it is officially called {{lang|kk|айқұлақ}} ({{lang|kk-Latn|aıqulaq}}, 'earlobe').
* In [[Korean language|Korean]], it is called {{lang|ko-Latn|golbaeng-i}} ({{lang|ko|골뱅이}}, meaning 'whelk'), a dialectal form of [[whelk]].
* In [[Kurdish languages|Kurdish]], it is {{lang|ku-Latn|at}} or {{lang|ku-Latn|et}} (Latin [[Kurdish alphabets|Hawar script]]), {{lang|ku-Arab|ئەت}} (Perso-Arabic [[Sorani alphabet|Sorani script]]) coming from the English word ''at''.
* In [[Latvian language|Latvian]], it is pronounced the same as in English, but, since in Latvian {{IPAblink|æ}} is written as "e" (not "a" as in English), it is sometimes written as {{lang|lv|et}}.
* In [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], it is pronounced {{lang|lt|eta}} (equivalent to the English ''at'').
* In [[Luxembourgish]] it used to be called {{lang|lb|Afeschwanz}} ('monkey tail'), but due to widespread use, it is now called {{lang|lb|at}}, as in English.
* In [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]], it is called {{wikt-lang|mk|мајмунче}} ({{lang|mk-Latn|majmunče}}, {{IPA|mk|ˈmajmuntʃɛ|}}, 'little monkey').
* In [[Malaysia]], it is called {{lang|ms|alias}} when it is used in names and {{wikt-lang|ms|di}} when it is used in email addresses, {{lang|ms|di}} being the [[Malaysian language|Malay]] word for 'at'. It is also commonly used to abbreviate {{wikt-lang|ms|atau}} which means 'or', 'either'.
* In [[Morse code#Letters, numbers, punctuation, prosigns for Morse code and non-Latin variants|Morse code]], it is known as a "[[prosigns for Morse code|commat]]", consisting of the Morse code for the "A" and "C" which run together as one character: {{Morse|dot|dash|dash|dot|dash|dot}}. The symbol was added in 2004 for use with email addresses,<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 30, 2004 |title=Morse '@'; character official as of May 3 |url=http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter?issue=2004-04-30 |website=The ARRL Letter |publisher=[[American Radio Relay League]] |volume=23 |number=18 |access-date=2012-04-18 |archive-date=2011-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105113831/http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter?issue=2004-04-30 |url-status=live }}</ref> the only official change to Morse code since [[World War I]].
* In [[Nepali language|Nepali]], the symbol is called "at the rate." Commonly, people will give their email addresses by including the phrase "at the rate".{{citation needed |date=October 2019 }}
* In [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], it is officially called {{lang|no|krøllalfa}} ('curly [[alpha]]' or 'alpha twirl'), and commonly as {{lang|no|alfakrøll}}. Sometimes {{lang|da|snabel-a}}, the Swedish/Danish name (which means 'trunk A', as in 'elephant's trunk'), is used. Commonly, people will call the symbol {{IPA|[æt]}} (as in English), particularly when giving their email addresses. The computer manufacturer [[Norsk Data]] used it as the command prompt, and it was often called "grisehale" (pig's tail).
* In [[Persian language|Persian]], it is {{lang|fa|ات}}, {{lang|fa-Latn|at}}, from the English word.
* In [[Polish language|Polish]], it is commonly called {{wikt-lang|pl|małpa}} ('monkey'). Rarely, the English word ''at'' is used. 
* In [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], it is called {{wikt-lang|pt|arroba}} (from the Arabic {{lang|ar-Latn|ar-roub}}, {{wikt-lang |1=ar |2=&rlm;ربع&lrm; |3=اَلرُّبْع }}). The word {{lang|pt|[[arroba]]}} is also used for a weight measure in Portuguese. One arroba is equivalent to 32 old Portuguese pounds, approximately {{convert|14.7|kg|abbr=on}}, and both the weight and the symbol are called {{lang|pt|arroba}}. In Brazil, [[cattle]] are still priced by the {{lang|pt|arroba}}&nbsp;– now rounded to {{convert|15|kg|abbr=on}}. This naming is because the at sign was used to represent this measure.
* In [[Romanian language|Romanian]], it is most commonly called {{lang|ro|at}}, but also colloquially called {{lang|ro|[[wikt:coadă|coadă]] de [[wikt:maimuță|maimuță]]}} ("monkey tail") or {{lang|ro|a-rond}}. The latter is commonly used, and it comes from the word ''round'' (from its shape), but that is nothing like the mathematical symbol {{lang|ro|A-rond}} (rounded A). Others call it {{lang|ro|aron}}, or {{lang|ro|la}} (Romanian word for 'at').
[[File:Basic interpreter on the DVK computer.JPG|thumb|right|@ on a [[DVK]] Soviet computer ({{circa|1984}})]]
<!-- ''{{lang|ru-Latn|Shtrudel}}''' ({{lang|ru|штрудель}}) ('strudel, pastry')—please cite this before it is reintroduced—it is not mentioned on the Russian page, and I have never heard of it. -->
* In [[Russian language|Russian]], it is commonly called {{lang|ru|соба[ч]ка}} ({{lang|ru-Latn|soba[ch]ka}} – '[little] dog').
* In [[Serbian language|Serbian]], it is called {{wikt-lang|sh|луд|лудо А}} ({{lang|sr-Latn|ludo A}} – 'crazy A'), {{wikt-lang|sh|мајмунче}} ({{lang|sr-Latn|majmunče}} – 'little monkey'), or {{wikt-lang|sh|мајмун}} ({{lang|sr-Latn|majmun}} – 'monkey').
* In [[Slovak language|Slovak]], it is called {{wikt-lang|cs|zavináč}} ('rollmop', a pickled fish roll, as in Czech).
* In [[Slovene language|Slovenian]], it is called {{lang|sl|afna}} (an informal word for 'monkey').
* In [[Spanish language|Spanish-speaking]] countries, it is called {{wikt-lang|es|arroba}} (from the Arabic {{lang|ar-Latn|ar-roub}}, which denotes a pre-metric unit of weight). 
* In [[Sámi languages|Sámi]] ([[North Sámi]]), it is called {{lang|se|bussáseaibi}} meaning 'cat's tail'.
* In [[Swedish language|Swedish]], it is called {{wikt-lang|sv|snabel-a}} ('[[elephant]]'s trunk A') or simply {{lang|sv|at}}, as in the English language. Less formally it is also known as {{wikt-lang|sv|kanelbulle}} ('[[cinnamon roll]]') or {{lang|sv|alfakrull}} ('[[alpha]] curl').
* In [[Swiss German]], it is commonly called {{lang|gsw|Affenschwanz}} ('monkey-tail'). However, the use of the English word {{lang|gsw|at}} has become increasingly popular in Swiss German, as with Standard German.{{citation needed |date=October 2019 }}
* In [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]], the word {{wikt-lang|tl|at}} means 'and', so the symbol is used like an ampersand in colloquial writing such as text messages (e.g. {{lang|tl|magluto @ kumain}}, 'cook and eat').
* In [[Thai language|Thai]], it is commonly called {{lang|th-Latn|at}}, as in English.
* In [[Turkish language|Turkish]], it is commonly called {{lang|tr|et}}, a variant pronunciation of English ''at''.{{citation needed |date=October 2019 }}<!-- Wiktionary has {{lang|tr|güzel a}}, {{lang|tr|özel a}}, {{lang|tr|salyangoz}}, {{lang|tr|koç}}, {{lang|tr|kuyruklu a}}, {{lang|tr|çengelli a}} but not {{lang|tr|et}} -->
* In [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]], it is commonly called {{lang|uk|ет}} ({{lang|uk-Latn|et}} – 'at') or Равлик (ravlyk), which means 'snail'.
* In [[Urdu]], it is {{lang|ur|اٹ}} ({{lang|ur-Latn|at}}).
* In [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]], it is commonly called {{lang|uz|kuchukcha}} ('little dog').<ref>{{cite web |title=@ belgisini nima uchun "kuchukcha" deb ataymiz? |url=https://xabardor.uz/uz/x/455070 |website=Xabardor.uz |access-date=26 February 2024 |language=uz |date=20 December 2019}}</ref>
* In [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]], it is called {{wikt-lang|vi|a còng}} ('bent A') in [[northern Vietnam|the north]] and {{wikt-lang|vi|a móc}} ('hooked A') in [[southern Vietnam|the south]].
* In [[Welsh language|Welsh]], it is sometimes known as a {{lang|cy|malwen}} or {{wikt-lang|cy|malwod|malwoden}} (both meaning "snail").

== Unicode ==
* {{unichar|0040|nlink= |html=}}
* {{unichar|FF20|nlink= |html=}}
* {{unichar|FE6B|nlink= |html=}}

== See also ==
* [[ASCII]]
* [[Circle-A]]{{snd}} a symbol of Anarchism
* [[Enclosed A]] ({{unichar|24B6}}, {{unichar|24D0}})

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary|commercial-at|at sign}}
{{Commons category|At sign}}
<!-- Marc Smith's talk (or paper) is full of interesting research and may be incorporated into the history section. See also French Wikipedia's Origins section: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arobase  -->
* {{FOLDOC|commercial-at|new=yes}}
* [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-accidental-history-of-the-symbol-18054936/ "The Accidental History of the @ Symbol "], ''[[Smithsonian magazine]]'', September 2012, Retrieved October 2021.
* The @-symbol, [http://www.shadycharacters.co.uk/2011/07/the-symbol-part-1-of-2/ part 1], [http://www.shadycharacters.co.uk/2011/07/the-symbol-intermission/ intermission], [https://web.archive.org/web/20141225121941/http://www.shadycharacters.co.uk/2011/08/the-symbol-part-2-of-2/ part 2], [http://www.shadycharacters.co.uk/2011/08/the-symbol-addenda/ addenda], ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20141221071159/http://www.shadycharacters.co.uk/ Shady Characters ⌂ The secret life of punctuation]'' August 2011, Retrieved June 2013.
* [http://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n10/soar01_.html "Daniel Soar on @"], ''[[London Review of Books]]'', Vol. 31 No. 10, 28 May 2009, Retrieved June 2013.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070120072115/http://www.ascii64.org/ ascii64 – the @ book – free download (creative commons) – by patrik sneyd – foreword by luigi colani)] November 2006, Retrieved June 2013.
* [http://www.herodios.com/atsign.htm A Natural History of the @ Sign] The many names of the at sign in various languages, 1997, Retrieved June 2013.
* [https://linguistlist.org/issues/7/7-968/ Sum: the @ Symbol], ''LINGUIST List 7.968'' July 1996, Retrieved June 2013.
* [http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/whereat.htm Where it's At: names for a common symbol] ''[http://www.worldwidewords.org/ World Wide Words]'' August 1996, Retrieved June 2013.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:At Site}}
[[Category:Latin-script ligatures]]
[[Category:Typographical symbols]]
[[Category:Graphemes]]
[[Category:Punctuation]]