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Subject:# sign From:Anthony Veeder <anthony -at- EMULTEK -dot- CO -dot- IL> Date:Thu, 3 Oct 1996 09:35:03 EET
>It's called the pound sign because in some circumstances it
>is used as an abbreviation for the word pound (as in weight).
This is probably a case of the chicken and the egg: what came
first? The only abbreviation for pound weight that I know of
is lb ("libra"). # probably got its pound name before it was
used as the weight symbol (incorrectly, IMHO).
BTW, Chicago Man. of Style (14th ed.), 12.51, calls # the
"number sign" - for what it's worth.
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Anthony Veeder eMail: anthony -at- emultek -dot- co -dot- il
Technical Documentation Tel: +972-4-999-0044
Emultek Fax: +972-4-999-0050
