• Today@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    I think it was always called a hash but we read it as pound or number…7# or #7. Like how we say ‘and’ instead of saying ampersand.

    • pmk@piefed.ca
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      8 days ago

      I’d argue that “and” is the proper way to say “&” in english, even though it’s just a fancy “et”. The word ampersand is just a weird spelling of “and per se and”, that is, “and in itself”, as opposed to being part of listing things. Like: x,y,z, and &. The first and is just part of the grammar of listing things, the second is an item in that list.