Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and where does the asterisk come from?
An asterisk is the little star-looking symbol above the 8 on your keyboard. In modern language, it’s typically used to censor expletives or let the reader know there’s a footnote or caveat. I don’t like the footnote usage because I think you should just use a regular footnote with numbers so it’s clear where the footnote belongs. But that’s irrelevant—we’re here to talk about the history.
The asterisk sign appeared all the way back in the days of cave paintings. It was used as a proofreading mark in Homeric and Hebrew poetry, and its name comes from a Greek word meaning—somewhat obviously—“little star.” The symbol hasn’t changed much through the years, except in usage.
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