julian@ee.UCLA.EDU (julian macassey) (11/20/88)
I am looking for an authoritative reference for the term
OCTOTHORPE.
An octothorpe is an # , which is what is usually referred to
as "the pound sign" or "the hash mark", sometimes as "the number
symbol". I know the correct term is octothorpe, I have seen
references to it in some Bell docs, I have even seen a news
clipping years ago that mentioned it.
My problem is that every now and again, some smart Alec asks
me where it comes from. I have even been accused of making it
up. No dictionary I have seen has ever given me a definition.
Yes I have looked it up in the 24 Volume Oxford English
Dictionary. I have checked the encyc Brit and alleged
Telecommunications Dictionaries.
I do know that Octo means eight and Thorpe means beam. So the
word has some roots.
There is a good term paper here for someone.
Yours Julian Macassey
--
Julian Macassey, n6are julian@bongo voice (213) 653-4495aem@ibiza.Miami.Edu (a.e.mossberg) (11/21/88)
In <telecom-v08i0183m06@vector.UUCP>, <ucla-an!bongo!julian@ee.UCLA.EDU> wrote: > An octothorpe is an # , which is what is usually referred to >as "the pound sign" or "the hash mark", sometimes as "the number >symbol". I know the correct term is octothorpe, I have seen >references to it in some Bell docs, I have even seen a news >clipping years ago that mentioned it. Indeed, that's the same place I learned the term, but usually have to revert to 'number sign' or 'pound sign'. > My problem is that every now and again, some smart Alec asks >me where it comes from. I have even been accused of making it >up. No dictionary I have seen has ever given me a definition. Yep, same here. I've never been able to find it in a dictionary, nor have I been able to find the original reference from where I learned it. I was beginning to think I made it up in some frenzied nightmare. Perhaps Bell invented it, and then changed their collective mind. aem a.e.mossberg - aem@mthvax.miami.edu - aem@mthvax.span (3.91) Man is here for the sake of other men. - Albert Einstein
MYERSTON@KL.SRI.COM (HECTOR MYERSTON) (11/22/88)
All my Bell System references call # The Number Sign (or Pound). The only times I see it called an Octothrope is in Northern Telecom Inc publications talking about Digipulse Dialing, "their name" for DTMF. The Japanese routinely call it a "Sharp". Obscure to me, logical to the musically inclined. +HECTOR+ -------
hwt (Henry@vector.uucp Troup) (11/22/88)
In article <telecom-v08i0183m06@vector.UUCP> ucla-an!bongo!julian@ee.UCLA.EDU (julian macassey) writes: > > I am looking for an authoritative reference for the term >OCTOTHORPE. > >Julian Macassey, n6are julian@bongo voice (213) 653-4495 I believe AT&T named the little beastie. Anyone at AT&T wanted to claim responsibility? Henry Troup utgpu!bnr-vpa!bnr-fos!hwt%bnr-public | BNR is not Bell-Northern Reseach hwt@bnr (BITNET/NETNORTH) | responsible for Ottawa, Canada (613) 765-2337 (Voice) | my opinions
dave@rutgers.edu (Dave Levenson) (11/24/88)
In article <telecom-v08i0183m06@vector.UUCP>,(julian macassey) writes: > > I am looking for an authoritative reference for the term > OCTOTHORPE. ... > I do know that Octo means eight and Thorpe means beam. So the > word has some roots. # # # # ####### # # ####### # # # # Can't you see the eight beams here? -- Dave Levenson Westmark, Inc. The Man in the Mooney Warren, NJ USA {rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
) (11/28/88)
According to legend, "octothorpe" is a name that the Bell people made up for the # on the telephone keypad. I suspect that they couldn't agree as to whether it was a "pound sign", "sharp", or "number sign" and eventually compromised (making everyone equally miserable). Martin Minow minow%thundr.dec@decwrl.dec.com [Moderator's question: I am wondering if our correspondent is related to Newton Minow, well known FCC executive. Just curious. P. Townson]
kgdykes@watmath.waterloo.edu (Ken Dykes) (12/01/88)
> All my Bell System references call # The Number Sign (or Pound). >The only times I see it called an Octothrope is in Northern Telecom Inc >publications talking about Digipulse Dialing, "their name" for DTMF. N.Tel calls DTMF either DTMF or "Touch Tone (tm)" "Digipulse" is the push-button like phones which generate the *pulses* that a dial would normally generate. ie: digitally generated pulses (instead of mechanical/rotary generated) Since N.Tel makes phones that do this, they needed a marketing name. Those free give-away phones from magazine subscriptions generally do this. ----- I guess with Free Trade, ATT is going to have to call them octothorpes now :-) -- - Ken Dykes, Software Development Group, U.of.Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 kgdykes@watmath.uucp kgdykes@water.bitnet kgdykes@waterloo.csnet kgdykes@watmath.uwaterloo.ca kgdykes@watmath.edu {backbone}!watmath!kgdykes