The Asterisk in English
Contents
History of the Asterisk
- Early Use: The asterisk symbol can be traced back to ancient ice age cave paintings and was used by Aristarchus of Samothrace around 2000 years ago for proofreading.
- Middle Ages: Used to emphasize text and link to marginal comments, evolving in shape but maintaining its role in correcting text defects.
- Origin Hypothesis: Some believe it may originate from the Sumerian character dingir, though this is based on visual similarity.
How You Should Use an Asterisk
- Footnotes or Annotations: Example: He was the best player on the team*.
- Indicating Omissions: Example: In the report, certain names were replaced with asterisks.
How Not to Use an Asterisk
- Not as a Regular Punctuation Mark: It should not replace periods, commas, etc.
- Avoid Overuse: Using too many asterisks can make text difficult to read.
Common Mistakes with the Asterisk
- Forgetting to Provide the Corresponding Note or Explanation.
- Misplacing in Sentences: It typically goes after the word or phrase it refers to.
Changing Patterns of Use
- Increased Use in Digital Communication: Often for emphasis or to denote actions.
Using the Asterisk in Writing
| Usage | Description |
|---|---|
| Footnotes/Endnotes | Indicates a footnote or endnote in a document for additional information or citation. |
| Censorship | Used to censor letters in offensive words, e.g., f*ck. |
| Corrections/Additions | Shows corrections or additions in a text, especially in informal writing or proofreading. |
| Missing or Omitted Information | Highlights missing or intentionally omitted information in a quote or document. |
| Unconventional Usage | Used in creative ways, such as in comics or novels, to convey emotions, actions, or sounds. |
| Mathematics and Computing | Denotes multiplication in mathematics; various uses in computing, like wildcard characters. |
Asterisk in Linguistics vs. Informal Use
In linguistics, an asterisk is used to indicate ungrammatical forms. For instance:
- *She weren't happy with him when he got home. (indicating incorrect grammar)
Conversely, in informal digital communication, an asterisk is often used to correct a previous error:
- I'll saw you at 9 tonight
- *see
This reflects an interesting contrast: in formal linguistic contexts, the asterisk precedes incorrect usage, while in informal settings, it follows the mistake to show the correction.
The Asterisk in Computer Science
- Wildcard: Used in search queries to represent any sequence of characters, e.g.,
*.txtfor all text files. - Regular Expressions (Regex): Represents zero or more occurrences of the preceding element, e.g.,
a*matches"",a,aa, etc. - Markdown: Used to format text, such as for bold or italic. Example:
*italic*or**bold**. - Programming: In many languages, it denotes multiplication, pointers, or dereferencing. Example:
int* ptr; - Code Comments: Sometimes used in comments to highlight sections or important notes.
