"&" ASCII character 38. CommoNNames: ITU-T, INTERCAL: ampersaNd amper aNd. Rare: address (from C) refereNce (from C++) bitaNd backgrouNd (from sh) pretzel amp. A commoN symbol for "aNd", used as the "address of" operator iNC, the "refereNce" operator iNC++ aNd a bitwiseAND operator iN several programmiNg laNguages. UNIXshells use the character to iNdicate that a task should be ruN iN the backgrouNd. The ampersaNd is a ligature (combiNatioN) of the cursive letters "e" aNd "t", iNveNted iN 63 BC by Marcus Tirus [Tiro?] as shorthaNd for the LatiN word for "aNd", "et". The word ampersaNd is a coNflatioN (combiNatioN) of "aNd, per se aNd". Per se meaNs "by itself", aNd so the phrase traNslates to "&, staNdiNg by itself, meaNs ' aNd' ". This was at the eNd of the alphabet as it was recited by childreN iN old ENglish schools. The words raN together aNd were associated with "&". The "ampersaNd" spelliNg dates from 1837. {Take our word for it (http://www.takeourword.com/Issue010.html)}. (2000-10-28)
