12 Signs and Symbols You Should Know 12 Signs and Symbols You Should Know By Mark Nichol What is the origin of various symbols used in English, and when is the use of each appropriate? Here’s a guide to twelve common signs, including how they developed and in which contexts they are used or avoided. 1. & (Ampersand) The ampersand was, at least until well into the nineteenth century, treated as the twenty-seventh letter of the alphabet, but its star has fallen, so that now it is used only informally except in registered names of businesses (“Ay, Bee & See Inc.”), which should be written as rendered; a comma preceding it is extraneous. The symbol comes from the cursive formation of the Latin word et (“and”), and the name is a slurring contraction of “and per se and,” which used to terminate schoolroom recitals of the alphabet: The phrase means “and by itself and”; instead of reciting, “. . . W, X, Y, Z, and,” children said, “. . .

W, X, Y, Z, and per se and” to clarify that “and” referred to a list item rather than serving as a conjunction for an item that was left unuttered. The symbol is also seen in &c. (“et cetera”), an alternate form of etc. American Psychological Association (APA) style allows the ampersand to link author names in an in-text citation (“Laurel & Hardy, 1921”), but other style guides call for using the word and. 2. * (Asterisk) The asterisk is used to call out a footnote or to refer to an annotation of special terms or conditions, to substitute for letters in profanity (“Oh, s***!”) or a name rendered anonymous (“the subject, M***”), to serve as a low-tech alternative to a typographical bullet , or provide emphasis in place of boldface (“Do *not* go there — the food is awful.”). It also has many specialized technical usages. Its name is derived from the Greek term asteriskos, meaning “little star,” and it was originally applied to distinguish date of birth from other references to years. 3.

@ (At Sign) Until the age of e-mail, the at sign was restricted mostly to commercial use, in purchase orders and the like, to mean “at the rate of” (“Order 1K widgets @ $2.50 per.”). It’s also used in displays of schedules for competitive sports to identify the event venue. Now it’s ubiquitous in email addresses and in social-networking usage, as well as computer protocols, but outside of those contexts, it is considered inappropriate for all but the most informal writing. 4. ¢ (Cent) This symbol for cent (from the Latin word centum, meaning “hundred”), unlike its cousin the dollar sign — it’s also used in many monetary systems other than that of US currency — is rare except in informal usage or for price tags. When it does appear, unlike the dollar sign, it follows rather than precedes the numeral, though as in the case of the dollar sign, no space intervenes. The equivalent usage in a context where dollar signs are employed is to treat the amount as a decimal portion of a dollar (“$0.99”); for clarity, a zero should always be inserted between the dollar sign and the decimal point.

The sign probably originated to distinguish an ordinary c from one denoting a monetary amount. 5. ° (Degree Sign) The sign for degrees of arc or degrees of temperature, which started out as a superscripted zero, was chosen for consistency with use of the minute (′) and second marks (″) employed in geometry and geography; those symbols originally stood for the Latin numerals I and II. The degree sign appears in technical contexts, but in general-interest publications, the word degree is generally used. In references to temperature, the symbol (and the designation of the temperature scale) immediately follows the associated numerical figure (“45°C”). This style is true of many publishing companies, though the US Government and the International Bureau of Weights and Measures prescribe a space between the number and the symbol (“45 °C”), while other publications omit the first letter space but insert another between the symbol and the abbreviation (“45° C”). 6.

” (Ditto Sign) The ditto sign, first attested three thousand years ago, signals that text shown above is to be repeated, as in a list in which the same quantity of various materials is intended to be expressed: apples 24 bananas ” oranges ” The word ditto, meaning “said,” derives from the Tuscan language, the immediate ancestor of Italian, but was borrowed into English hundreds of years ago. The word, its abbreviation (do.), and the symbol are considered inappropriate for most writing, though the term has often been used in informal spoken and written language to mean “(the same as) what he/she said.” Although the symbol has a distinct character code for online writing, straight or curly close quotation marks are usually employed to produce it. 7. $ (Dollar Sign) This symbol for the American dollar and many other currencies was first used to refer to the peso, which inspired the American currency system. Various origin stories for the symbol come in and out of fashion, but it’s most likely that it developed from an abbreviation of pesos in which the initial p preceded a superscript s; the tail of the initial was often superimposed on the s. A dollar sign with two vertical lines is a less common variant.

Most books and other formal publications tend to spell out dollars in association with a (spelled-out or numerical) figure, but periodicals usually use the symbol, as do specialized books about finance or business or others with frequent references to money. In international publications, when the symbol is used, for clarity, it is combined with the abbreviation US (“US$1.5 million” or “US $1.5 million”). The dollar sign is also used as an abbreviated reference to various functions in computer programming and similar contexts. 8. # (Number or Pound Sign, or Hash) This symbol evolved from the abbreviation for pound, lb. (a literal abbreviation for the Roman word libra, meaning “balance”), in which horizontal lines were superimposed on the vertical lines of the letters, producing something like the tic-tac-toe pattern used today. One of many other names for the sign, octotherp (also spelled octothorp or otherwise), was a jocular coinage by telecommunications engineers in the mid-twentieth century. The symbol is seldom used outside informal or highly technical or otherwise specialized contexts. 9.

% (Percent) The sign for indicating percentage developed in the Middle Ages over the course of hundreds of years, beginning as an abbreviation of percent (from the Latin phrase per centum, meaning “out of a hundred”). Its use is recommended only in technical contexts or in tabular material, where space it at a premium. (Some standards authorities call for a space between a number and this symbol, but most publications and publishers omit the space.) 10. ~ (Tilde) The tilde is used as a diacritical mark over various letters to indicate a variety of sounds in different languages, but it also appears midline, like a dash (and is sometimes called a swung dash), to denote “approximately (“Last night’s attendance: ~100”). It has technical connotations as well and is even used as a notation for recording sequences of action in juggling. The name, borrowed into English through Portuguese and Spanish from Latin, means “title.” 11. / (Slash, Solidus, Stroke, or Virgule) During the Middle Ages, this sign of many names, including those listed above, served as a comma; a pair denoted a dash.

The double slash was eventually tipped horizontally to become an equal sign and later a dash or hyphen. (The equal sign is still used as a proofreader’s mark to indicate insertion of a hyphen.) The slash — also called the forward slash to distinguish it from the backslash, which is used only in technical contexts — is an informal substitute for or. 12. _ (Underscore or Understrike) This artifact from the era of the typewriter was used on such devices to underline words to indicate emphasis in lieu of italics. As a survival of that function, words are sometimes bracketed by a pair of single underscores in email and other computer contexts to mark a word for emphasis (“That band totally _rocked_ the place.”). Indeed, as I typed this post in Microsoft Word, the program automatically converted rocked to italics. The symbol also appears frequently in email and website addresses and other technical contexts. Subscribe to Receive our Articles and Exercises via Email You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed! Subscribers get access to our exercise archives, writing courses, writing jobs and much more! You'll also get three bonus ebooks completely free!

13 Responses to “12 Signs and Symbols You Should Know” Jaqueline on July 05, 2012 10:56 am I would like to know about the usage of the sing . when slhould I read it period, dot or point? Thank you. on July 05, 2012 11:21 am Sorry, I mean: sign NOT sing. Cynthia Harris on July 05, 2012 11:25 am Would you mind if I put some of your writing tips on my blog and in my newsletters…giving you and your website credit? Treathyl FOX on July 05, 2012 12:31 pm Excellent writing tips! I’ve been using that tilde mark all wrong! 🙂 Rick on July 05, 2012 1:16 pm Asterisk is also used in spreadsheet formulas as the mathematical “times” symbol rather than the instinctive X. Shortcuts for some of the symbols not found on your common QUERTY keyboard. Quicker than pulling up the Windows Character Map.

The number sequences below can be seen in the lower right corner of the Character Map when the symbol is selected. With NumLock on, hold the Alt key down and type the four digit sequence on the numeric section of your keyboard: ¢ Cent 0162 ² Superscript 2 or squared 0178 Tom on July 05, 2012 4:58 pm In mentioning the typewriter about the underscore sign, what about the sign for cent(s)? I didn’t know it was still available. Mark Nichol on July 05, 2012 5:13 pm Tom: When computer keyboards were being developed, in the effort to make the most frequently used symbols available without resorting to coding, the cent sign was omitted in favor of the caret. Mark Nichol on July 05, 2012 11:43 pm Jacqueline: It depends on the context: Generally, period is the term for use in prose, dot refers to the symbol used in Internet protocols such as website and email addresses, and point is the name for the mathematical symbol used in decimal notation (including references to monetary figures).

Baska on July 06, 2012 12:35 am I think that the “underscore” shows up in a lot of computer related contexts because originally you couldn’t use the “space”. A space was interpreted as “the end” (of this computer command). So if you wanted something to look like a space, (for example in “My Name”), you had to type something like “My_Name”. Jeremy on July 13, 2012 12:40 pm I find it interesting that the Roman numerals 0, I, and II were used for degrees, minutes, and seconds. I wonder if medieval or Roman surveyors used to use O for yards, I for feet and II for inches, which is why ‘ and ” are used for feet and inches today. Does anyone know? Jon on July 18, 2012 7:41 pm Jacqueline and Mark: being brought up with British English a “.” is always a “full stop”. Referring to it as a “period” is always – to me – a clear indication of an American English background.

Mohammad Mustafa , Thamar University on September 23, 2012 5:58 pm You may wish to: – Add more symbols and signs to your list, e.g. = , + -, &, $ , – Show differences between signs, symbols , and abbreviations. – Give some notes about voiced signs (i.e. to be read in words e.g. % and @, and unvoiced but help in in intonation,e.g. ?, !, / , :, – list complete arithmetic signs. _ Names of some signs written over letters of borrowed words , e.g. Naïve , vis-à-vis – Publish these medical symbols • ≥ Greater than or equal to •  increase • ≤ Less than or equal to • ♂ male Matthew on February 24, 2016 5:51 pm When someone replies to a message simply with the symbols (~ or (- What specifically are they saying? I gather it means some sort of mockery. Other symbols OTHER SYMBOLS USED IN MATH Introduction This list includes only the major meanings of the most common symbols, according to my judgment.

The list of mathematical symbols in Wikipedia includes many other symbols but does not include all, or even most of, the meanings of the symbols. Like many other parts of abstractmath.org, in depth lexicographical research is needed (anyone have ten million dollars?) See Remarks about usage. More information about mathematical symbols may be found in individual entries in Mathworld and in Wikipedia. Accented characters Mathematicians frequently use an accent to create a new variable from an old one. This is usually done to denote a mathematical object with some specific functional relationship with the old one. The most commonly used accents over the letter are arrow , bar , check , dot , hat and tilde . prime and star may be used after the letter as a superscript. slash may be used across a relational symbol. All of the accents except arrow and slash (as far as I know) have more than one meaning. In the list below, I mention some common meanings, but mathematicians may and do define other meanings for the symbols. The asterisk "*" may be used independently or as a modifier of a variable. In either case (except when it denotes multiplication) it is pronounced "star".

Star as modifier If $a$ is a variable , $a^\ast$ may denote the result of applying a specific involution to $a$, for example the complex conjugate or the adjoint. If $a$ is a character , $a^\ast$ may denote any number of repetitions of the character. For these uses, the LaTeX code for $a^\ast$ is "a^\ast". Note that LaTeX also allows $a^\star$, which is typeset by "a^\star", but I don't know of examples of its use in math. Used independently Tilde The symbol "~" is pronounced "tilde" (till-day or till-dee), or informally "twiddle" or "squiggle". The tilde may be placed on top of a variable, for example "$\tilde{x}$" with several possible meanings. Before a number the tilde is used to mean "approximately". "~42" means "approximately 42". $\sim \,,\,\,\approx \,,\,\,\simeq \,,\,\,\cong$ are all used to denote binary relations. More about this below . Other uses are discussed in MathWorld .

In LaTeX, you code $\tilde{x}$ as "\tilde{x}" and $x\sim y$ as "x\sim y". Quantifiers Quantifier symbols are used in logic. $\forall $ is the universal quantifier. Discussed in the article Universally True . $\exists $ is the existential quantifier. Discussed in the article Existential statements. Usage Many mathematicians use the symbols "$\forall$" and "$\exists$" at the blackboard as abbreviations. Except in books and papers on logic, it is not common to see them in printed texts. Pronunciation Pronouncing expressions using the two quantifiers involves a difference in English syntax. $\forall n\,(n\text{ is even)}$ is pronounced "For all $n$, $n$ is even." $\exists n\,(n\text{ is even)}$ is pronounced "There is an $n$ such that $n$ is even." In LaTeX you code "$\forall$" as "\forall" and "$\exists$" as "\exists". See also the articles on notation for connectives and negation . list of mathematical symbols.

$\boldsymbol{=}$ The equals sign "=" has a standard meaning in math: "x = y" means x and y are two different names for the same mathematical object . In some programming languages, "$=$" is an assignment operator. In such a language, the statement "$x=42$" means that the variable $x$ now has the value $42$ (the same as saying "Let $x=42$"). Many such languages use "$==$" for the mathematical meaning of the equals sign. An expression containing an equals sign may have various intents , and determining those intents is something students must learn how to do. For more information, see equation in the Glossary, equation, equal sign, and equality in Wikipedia, and the article When is one thing equal to some other thing? by Barry Mazur. $\boldsymbol{:=}$ This symbol is called colon equals . It means means "is defined to be".

For example, "$f(x):={{x}^{2}}+1$" means that $f(x)$ is defined to be ${{x}^{2}}+1$ and "$A:=\{1\,,\,3\,,\,5\,,\,6\}$" means that $A$ is defined to be the set $\{1,3,5,6\}$. The scope of definitions given this way are usually small, for example the current paragraph or section. This usage originated in computing science and now many mathematicians use it. Two other symbols are also used to mean "is defined as", illustrated by "$x\equiv42$" and "$x{\overset{\text{def}}{=}}42$". $\boldsymbol{\equiv}$ The symbol "$\equiv$" most commonly denotes a modular congruence or a geometric congruence. Note that the symbol "$\cong$" is also commonly used for these meanings. The Wikipedia article Triple bar describes other less common meanings of this symbol. I have never heard a mathematician use the name "Triple bar". In LaTeX, "$\equiv$" is coded as "\equiv".

$\boldsymbol{\sim}$ "$\sim$" used between two math expressions is called the tilde operator. For functions $f$ and $g$, the statement "$f\sim g$" means that $f$ is asymptotic to $g$. "$\sim$" is one of many symbols, listed in the Wikipedia article on approximation, used to indicate that one number is approximately equal to another. Note that "approximately equal" is reflexive and symmetric but not transitive. "$\sim$" is one of many symbols used in logic to indicate negation. $\boldsymbol{\approx}$ For numbers $x$ and $y$, the statement "$x \approx y$" means that $x$ is an approximation to $y$. For functions $f$ and $g$, the statement "$f \approx g$" means that $f$ and $g$ are asymptotic. In LaTeX, "$\approx$" is encoded as "\approx". $\boldsymbol{\cong}$ The symbol "$\cong$" may denote that two math objects are isomorphic, a modular congruence or a geometric congruence. These are all equivalence relations. The symbol may be used with other meanings, including "approximately equal to".

In LaTeX, "$\cong$" is coded as "\cong". Inclusions The symbols $\subset \,,\supset \,,\subseteq \,,\supseteq \,,\varsubsetneq \text{, and}\varsupsetneq $, along with some less common symbols, all denote relations concerned with inclusion. $\boldsymbol{\subseteq}$ "$A\subseteq B$" means that every element of $A$ is an element of $B$. This can be worded as: $A$ is included in $B$, or $A$ is a subset of $B$. The LaTeX code for "$\subseteq$" is "\subseteq". "$A\subseteq B$" specifically includes the possibility that $A = B$. Note that that is the standard meaning of "subset": "$A$ is a subset of $B$" always allows $A=B$ and always allows $A$ to be the empty set. $\boldsymbol{\subset}$ The statement "$A\subset B$" has two meanings in math writing and, at least in the research literature, authors are not likely tell you which one they are using.

"$A\subset B$" may mean exactly the same thing as "$A\subseteq B$", including the possibility that $A = B$. This meaning is very common in research papers and it occurs sometimes in textbooks too. "$A\subset B$" may mean $A\subseteq B$ but $A\ne B$, in analogy with "$\le$" and "$\lt$". This meaning is common in textbooks and seems to be universal in high school math texts. When you see "$A\subset B$", make sure you know what the author means. The LaTeX code for "$\subset$" is "\subset". $\boldsymbol{\supset}$ "$B\supset A$" means $A\subset B$ in either of its meanings. It is pronounced "$B$ includes $A$" or "$B$ is a superset of $A$". When $A$ and $B$ are statements (not sets) $B\supset A$ may mean "If $B$, then $A$". See the abmath article on Conditional assertions . The LaTeX code for "$\supset$" is "\supset". $\boldsymbol{\supseteq}$ $B\supseteq A$ means $A\subseteq B$.

This can be phrased as "$B$ includes $A$" or "$B$ is a superset of $A$". The LaTeX code for "$\supseteq$" is "\supseteq". $\boldsymbol{\varsubsetneq}$ "$A\varsubsetneq B$" means that every element of $A$ is an element of $B$ and there is an element of $B$ that is not an element of $A$. This symbol thus means the same thing as one of the two meanings of "$\subset$", and in my opinion should be more widely used. The LaTeX code for "$\varsubsetneq$" is "\varsubsetneq". Miscellaneous symbols $\boldsymbol{\times}$ "$a\times b$" can mean the product of numbers $a$ and $b$, the product of matrices, the cartesian or categorical product of mathematical objects, or the vector product of 3-dimensional vectors. There is more information about this symbol in the article overloaded notation . The product of numbers or matrices can also be represented by juxtaposition ("$ab$" instead of "$a\times b$") or (in Mathematica) by a space, but that is not true of the cartesian product or the vector product.

The LaTeX code for "$\times$" is "\times". Lesser-Known Typographical Characters - Copyediting.com Lesser-Known Typographical Characters by Andy Hollandbeck Writers, editors, and proofreaders spend their days manipulating the 94 characters available on a standard QWERTY keyboard. Combine that with accents and other special characters, and wordsmiths have more than 200 individual characters with which to ply their trades. You’d think that would be enough. Before ereaders and computers, before typewriters, and in some cases before books, scribes and typographers used a handful of other characters that aren’t widely known, that have been relegated to ornamentation, or that have all but disappeared. Here is an overview of six of those characters — plus a bonus character whose nuances you might not know about. You know the pilcrow. (Copyediting.com is owned and run by The Pilcrow Group, after all.) You know that this sign marks the end of one paragraph and the beginning of the next. What you might not know is that it began its life as a marker for a shift in concept or topic — the same thing a new paragraph does now — in an otherwise solid block of ancient Greek text.

But it didn’t look like this then. As Europe underwent political changes, language and writing changed as well. By the twelfth century, monk scribes had more or less settled on a mark created from the letter C (for Latin capitulum, “chapter”) with a vertical line through it, kind of like the cent sign. From there, it developed into “that backward P thingie” we know and love today. The pilcrow is also called the blind P and the alinea, Latin for “off the line.” The asterism is three asterisks arranged in a triangle. Printers would use the asterism (which, like asterisk, is derived from the Greek word for “star”) to mark a section break or to call attention to a particular block of text. Most digital font sets don’t include the asterism, and so it’s more common these days for people — including book printers — to use three asterisks or three bullets in a horizontal line, or some other graphical indication of a break. Dinkus is gaining popularity as a word to describe such graphical markers. The dagger and double dagger indicate footnotes if, for some reason, you can’t or don’t want to use superscript numerals for that purpose.

According to the Chicago Manual of Style (3.77), the dagger and double dagger are second and third in the sequence of footnote symbols, after the asterisk. This may not be news to you, but how about this: The dagger is also called the obelisk. This little bit of typographical flora goes by many names, including fleuron (from the French word for “flower”), hedera (“ivy” in Latin), aldus leaf (after the Italian Renaissance printer Aldus Manutius), or just the printer’s flower. Perhaps typography’s very first wingding, fleurons were used in various ways, often acting like pilcrows and asterisms to break up text or mark conceptual shifts. Like all these characters, the one shown here is just a specific example — different scribes and printers created fleurons of different shapes and complexities. Over time, they became less a character and more an ornamentation. Today, you’re most likely to see a fleuron on restaurant menu to mark items that are extra-spicy. Before they invented highlighters, they used this pointy little thing.

Formally called a manicule (from the Latin for “little hand,” exactly what it is) and informally called an index, bishop’s fist, or, my favorite, mutton-fist, this symbol was written or printed in the margin to draw attention to important information or corrections in the text. As printing grew, margins shrank and footnotes became more standardized, so the mutton-fist became less useful in books. It’s still used in plenty of signage, though. Bonus character The old division sign is far from disappearing, but I include it here for two reasons. First, it has a more formal name: the obelus, from the Greek word for “a spit.” It makes sense when you look at its shape. Second, it had a life outside of mathematics as a symbol to mark a manuscript passage suspected of being corrupt or unsupportable.

Judaism 101: Signs and Symbols Signs and Symbols  Mezuzah, tzitzit and tefillin are reminders of the commandments  The menorah (candelabrum) is the ancient universal symbol of Judaism  The Jewish star (Magen David) is a modern universal Jewish symbol  Jews wear a skullcap (yarmulke) as a pious custom  Chai, found on jewelry, is the number 18, which is a favorable number  The Hamesh Hand is common in Jewish jewelry, but its connection to Judaism is questionable Mezuzah And you shall write [the words that I command you today] on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. -Deuteronomy 6:9, 11:19 On the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes (and many not-so-traditional homes!), you will find a small case like the one pictured at left. This case is commonly known as a mezuzah (Heb.: doorpost), because it is placed upon the doorposts of the house.

The mezuzah is not, as some suppose, a good-luck charm, nor does it have any connection with the lamb's blood placed on the doorposts in Egypt. Rather, it is a constant reminder of G-d 's presence and G-d's mitzvot . The mitzvah to place mezuzot on the doorposts of our houses is derived from Deut. 6:4-9, a passage commonly known as the Shema (Heb: Hear, from the first word of the passage). In that passage, G-d commands us to keep His words constantly in our minds and in our hearts by (among other things) writing them on the doorposts of our house. The words of the Shema are written on a tiny scroll of parchment, along with the words of a companion passage, Deut. 11:13-21. On the back of the scroll, a name of G-d is written. The scroll is then rolled up and placed in the case, so that the first letter of the Name (the letter Shin ) is visible (or, more commonly, the letter Shin is written on the outside of the case).

The scroll must be handwritten in a special style of writing and must be placed in the case to fulfill the mitzvah. It is commonplace for gift shops to sell cases without scrolls, or with mechanically printed scrolls, because a proper scroll costs more than even an elaborately decorated case ($30-$50 for a valid scroll is quite reasonable). According to traditional authorities, mechanically printed scrolls do not fulfill the mitzvah of the mezuzah, nor does an empty case. The case and scroll are then nailed or affixed at an angle to the right side doorpost as you enter the building or room, with a small ceremony called Chanukkat Ha-Bayit (dedication of the house - yes, this is the same word as Chanukkah , the holiday celebrating the rededication of the Temple). A brief blessing is recited. See the text of the blessing at Affixing the Mezuzah . Why is the mezuzah affixed at an angle? The rabbis could not decide whether it should be placed horizontally or vertically, so they compromised!

Every time you pass through a door with a mezuzah on it, you touch the mezuzah and then kiss the fingers that touched it, expressing love and respect for G-d and his mitzvot and reminding yourself of the mitzvot contained within them. It is proper to remove a mezuzah when you move, and in fact, it is usually recommended. If you leave it in place, the subsequent owner may treat it with disrespect, and this is a grave sin. I have seen many mezuzot in apartment complexes that have been painted over because a subsequent owner failed to remove it while the building was painted, and it breaks my heart every time I see that sort of disrespect to an object of religious significance. For more information about mezuzot or to purchase valid scrolls for a mezuzah online, visit the S.T.A.M. website. Tzitzit and Tallit They shall make themselves tzitzit on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and they shall place on the tzitzit of each corner a thread of techeilet.

And it shall be tzitzit for you, and you will see it, and you will remember all the mitzvot of the L-RD and do them and not follow your heart or your eyes and run after them. -Numbers 15:38-40 The Torah commands us to wear tzitzit (fringes) at the corners of our garments as a reminder of the mitzvot , kind of like the old technique of tying a string around your finger to remember something. The passage also instructs that the fringe should have a thread of "techeilet," believed to be a blue or turquoise dye, but the source of that dye is no longer known, so tzitzit are today are all white. There is a complex procedure for tying the knots of the tzitzit, filled with religious and numerological significance. The mitzvah to wear tzitzit applies only to four-cornered garments, which were common in biblical times but are not common anymore. To fulfill this mitzvah, adult men wear a four-cornered shawl called a tallit (pictured above) during morning services , along with the tefillin .

In some Orthodox congregations , only married men wear a tallit; in others, both married and unmarried men wear one. In Conservative , Reform and Reconstructionist synagogues, both men and women may wear a tallit, but men are somewhat more likely than women to do so. A blessing is recited when you put on the tallit. See the text of the blessing at Tallit and Tefillin . Strictly observant Jewish men commonly wear a special four-cornered garment, similar to a poncho, called a tallit katan ("little tallit"), so that they will have the opportunity to fulfill this important mitzvah all day long. The tallit katan is worn under the shirt, with the tzitzit hanging out so they can be seen. If you've ever seen a Jewish man with strings hanging out of his clothing, this is probably what you were seeing. There is no particular religious significance to the tallit (shawl) itself, other than the fact that it holds the tzitzit (fringes) on its corners. There are also very few religious requirements with regard to the design of the tallit.

The tallit must be long enough to be worn over the shoulders (as a shawl), not just around the neck (as a scarf), to fulfill the requirement that the tzitzit be on a "garment." Likewise, it should be draped over the shoulders like a shawl, not worn around the neck like a scarf, though that is commonly done (see illustration at right). A longer tallit is commonly folded over the shoulders, to prevent the tzitzit from dragging on the ground. The tallit may be made of any material, but must not be made of a combination of wool and linen, because that combination is forbidden on any clothing. (Lev. 19:19; Deut. 22:11). Most tallitot are white with navy or black stripes along the shorter ends, possibly in memory of the thread of techeilet. They also commonly have an artistic motif of some kind along the top long end (the outside of the part that goes against your neck). This motif is referred to as an atarah (crown). There is no particular religious significance to the atarah; it simply tells you which end is up!

It is quite common, however, to write the words of the blessing for putting on the tallit on the atarah, so you can read the blessing while you are putting the tallit on. If a blessing is written on your tallit, you should be careful not to bring the tallit into the bathroom with you! Sacred writings should not be brought into the bathroom. For this reason, many synagogues have a tallit rack outside of the bathroom. Conversely, if you see a room in a synagogue with a sign that tells you to remove your tallit before entering, you can safely assume that the room is a bathroom! Tefillin Bind [the words that I command you today] as a sign on your arm, and they shall be ornaments between your eyes. -Deuteronomy 6:8 The Shema also commands us to bind the words to our hands and between our eyes. We do this by "laying tefillin," that is, by binding to our arms and foreheads leather pouches containing scrolls of Torah passages. The word "tefillin" is usually translated "phylacteries," although I don't much care for that term.

"Phylacteries" isn't very enlightening if you don't already know what tefillin are, and the word "phylacteries" means "amulet," suggesting that tefillin are some kind of protective charm, which they are not. The word "tefillin," on the other hand, is etymologically related to the word "tefilah" (prayer) and the root Pe-Lamed-Lamed (judgment). Like the mezuzah , tefillin are meant to remind us of G-d 's mitzvot . We bind them to our head and our arm, committing both our intellect and our physical strength to the fulfillment of the mitzvot. At weekday morning services , one case is tied to the arm, with the scrolls at the biceps and leather straps extending down the arm to the hand, then another case is tied to the head, with the case on the forehead and the straps hanging down over the shoulders. Appropriate blessings are recited during this process. The tefillin are removed at the conclusion of the morning services. See a general outline of this process and its blessings at Tallit and Tefillin .

Jewish acupuncturist Steven Schram examined the positioning of the tefillin and the procedure for laying them, and concluded that the laying of tefillin was "a unique way of stimulating a very precise set of acupuncture points that appears designed to clear the mind and harmonise the spirit." Click here to see his article from the Journal of Chinese Medicine. Like the scrolls in a mezuzah, the scrolls in tefillin must be hand-written in a special style of writing . A good, valid set of tefillin can cost a few hundred dollars, but if properly cared for they can last for a lifetime. For more information about tefillin or to purchase valid tefillin online, visit the S.T.A.M. website. Menorah One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith is the menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum used in the Temple . The kohanim lit the menorah in the Sanctuary every evening and cleaned it out every morning, replacing the wicks and putting fresh olive oil into the cups. The illustration at left is based on instructions for construction of the menorah found in Ex. 25:31-40.

It has been said that the menorah is a symbol of the nation of Israel and our mission to be "a light unto the nations." (Isaiah 42:6). The sages emphasize that light is not a violent force; Israel is to accomplish its mission by setting an example, not by using force. This idea is highlighted in the vision in Zechariah 4:1-6. Zechariah sees a menorah, and G-d explains: "Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit." The lamp stand in today's synagogues, called the ner tamid (lit. the continual light, usually translated as the eternal flame), symbolizes the menorah. Many synagogues also have an ornamental menorah, usually with some critical detail changed (for example, with only 6 candles) to avoid the sin of reproducing objects of the Temple. The nine-branched menorah used on Chanukkah is commonly patterned after this menorah, because Chanukkah commemorates the miracle that a day's worth of oil for this menorah lasted eight days. Yarmulke Cover your head so that the fear of heaven may be upon you.

-Talmud Shabbat 156b R. Huna son of R. Joshua would not walk four cubits bareheaded, saying: The Shechinah [Divine Presence] is above my head. -Talmud Kiddushin 31a R. Huna son of R. Joshua said: May I be rewarded for never walking four cubits bareheaded. -Talmud Shabbat 118b The most commonly known and recognized piece of Jewish garb is actually the one with the least religious significance. The word yarmulke (usually, but not really correctly, pronounced yammica) is Yiddish . According to Leo Rosten's The Joys of Yiddish, it comes from a Tartar word meaning skullcap. According to some Orthodox and Chasidic rabbis I know, it comes from the Aramaic words "yerai malka" (fear of or respect for The King). The Hebrew word for this head covering is kippah (pronounced key-pah). It is an ancient practice for Jews to cover their heads during prayer.

This probably derives from the fact that in Eastern cultures, it is a sign of respect to cover the head (the custom in Western cultures is the opposite: it is a sign of respect to remove one's hat). Thus, by covering the head during prayer, one showed respect for G-d . In addition, in ancient Rome, servants were required to cover their heads while free men did not; thus, Jews covered their heads to show that they were servants of G-d. In medieval times, Jews covered their heads as a reminder that G-d is always above them. Whatever the reason given, however, covering the head has always been regarded more as a custom rather than a commandment . Although it is a common pious practice to cover the head at all times, it is not religiously mandatory. For example, it is widely accepted that one may refrain from wearing a head covering at work if your employer requires it (for reasons of safety, uniformity, or to reduce distractions). You can take off your yarmulke for a job interview if you think it will hurt your chances of getting the job. There is an amusing article about this dilemma, The Kippah Debate , at Aish.com .

There is no special significance to the yarmulke as a specific type of head covering. Its light weight, compactness and discreteness make it a convenient choice of head gear. I am unaware of any connection between the yarmulke and the similar skullcap worn by the Pope. Magen David The Magen David (Shield of David, or as it is more commonly known, the Star of David) is the symbol most commonly associated with Judaism today, but it is actually a relatively new Jewish symbol. It is supposed to represent the shape of King David's shield (or perhaps the emblem on it), but there is really no support for that claim in any early rabbinic literature. The symbol is not mentioned in rabbinic literature until the middle ages, and is so rare in early Jewish literature and artwork that art dealers suspect forgery if they find the symbol in early Jewish works. Scholars such as Franz Rosenzweig have attributed deep theological significance to the symbol. For example, some note that the top triangle strives upward, toward G-d, while the lower triangle strives downward, toward the real world. Some note that the intertwining makes the triangles inseparable, like the Jewish people .

Some say that the three sides represent the three types of Jews: Kohanim , Levites and Israel. Some note that there are actually 12 sides (3 exterior and 3 interior on each triangle), representing the 12 tribes. While these theories are theologically interesting, they have little basis in historical fact. The symbol of intertwined equilateral triangles is a common one in the Middle East and North Africa, and is thought to bring good luck. It appears occasionally in early Jewish artwork, but never as an exclusively Jewish symbol. The nearest thing to an "official" Jewish symbol at the time was the menorah . In the middle ages, Jews often were required to wear badges to identify themselves as Jews, much as they were in Nazi Germany, but these Jewish badges were not always the familiar Magen David. For example, a fifteenth century painting by Nuno Goncalves features a rabbi wearing a six-pointed badge that looks more or less like an asterisk.

In the 17th century, it became a popular practice to put Magen Davids on the outside of synagogues , to identify them as Jewish houses of worship in much the same way that a cross identified a Christian house of worship; however, I have never seen any explanation of why this symbol was chosen, rather than some other symbol. The Magen David gained popularity as a symbol of Judaism when it was adopted as the emblem of the Zionist movement in 1897, but the symbol continued to be controversial for many years afterward. When the modern state of Israel was founded, there was much debate over whether this symbol should be used on the flag. Today, the Magen David is the universally recognized symbol of Jewry. It appears on the flag of the state of Israel, and the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross is known as the Red Magen David. Chai This symbol, commonly seen on necklaces and other jewelry and ornaments, is simply the Hebrew word Chai (living), with the two Hebrew letters Cheit and Yod attached to each other. Some say it refers to the Living G-d ; others say it simply reflects Judaism's focus on the importance of life.

Whatever the reason, the concept of chai is important in Jewish culture. The typical Jewish toast is l'chayim (to life). Gifts to charity are routinely given in multiples of 18 (the numeric value of the word Chai). Hamesh Hand The hamesh hand or hamsa hand is a popular motif in Jewish jewelry. Go into any Judaic gift shop and you will find necklaces and bracelets bearing this inverted hand with thumb and pinky pointing outward. The design commonly has an eye in the center of the hand or various Hebrew letters in the middle. There is nothing exclusively Jewish about the hamesh hand. Arab cultures often refer to it as the Hand of Fatima, which represents the Hand of G-d. Similar designs are common in many cultures. Why it has become such a popular symbol among Jews? I haven't been able to find an adequate explanation anywhere. My best guess: in many cultures, this hand pattern represents a protection against the evil eye (a malignant spiritual influence caused by the jealousy of others), and the evil eye has historically been a popular superstition among Jews. For some lovely illustrations of Jewish variations on this design, see here .

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Question: What common typographical symbol's name is taken from Greek 'little star'?
Answer: Asterisk