Here Are 8 Popular Symbols And Their Origin

Even before men could talk, they used symbols and pictorial representation to convey their ideas and go about the day-to-day business. The roots of modern-day symbols date back to the Roman and Greek empires, some of which we use even today. Below are the eight most popular symbols and their evolution stories.

The Peace Sign

The Heart Symbol

According to some myths, the heart shape comes from ivy leaves which were usually associated with fertility. However, many others say that the biologically incorrect heart symbol comes from the shape of silphium, a giant fennel used by Greeks and Romans as birth control. 

The Ampersand (“&”)

 

The ampersand is the result of the conjunction of two letters in “et” (Latin origin, meaning “and” in English).

The “Power On” Symbol

The Power On symbol is the merge of the binary code one and zero, which represent “on” and “off” respectively.

The Question Mark (“?”)

The punctuation marks were merely a system of dots back in the early Middle Ages, but as the language progressed, the need to expand its complexity arose. For example, to communicate a question in written form and the tone associated with a question. A dot with a lightning bolt shape was chosen for the purpose, and over time it evolved into the question mark form of today.

The Bluetooth Symbol

This symbol is extracted by the combination of two Danish runes, akin to the letters “H” and “B.” H and B are the initials of Harald Blåtand, who was the King of Denmark back in the 10th century and is revered for uniting Danish tribes. He had a nickname: Bluetooth, given to him for his love of blueberries!

The At-Symbol (“@”)

 

The @ symbol was first used to represent “at the price of” for merchants, but that didn’t last for long. In the 1970s, a computer engineer Ray Tomlinson, who is the creator of today’s email system, needed a unique symbol for the addresses, and after some thought chose the “At” symbol!

The Apple Logo

While some people like to believe the bitten apple represents the story of the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden; this is not widely accepted. Another theory suggests that Apple was selected since Steve Jobs liked them and thought they made sense. The bite mark is only there to give it scale and differentiate it from looking like a cherry.