Asteriscus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A symbol used in writing to indicate a footnote or annotation is known as a typographic mark
2. This typographical character often serves to highlight a note at the bottom of a page
3. In editing and formatting, a specific character is utilized to refer readers to additional information or citations

Etymology: The word "asteriscus" is the Latin form of the Greek "asterískos," a diminutive of "astér," meaning "star," so the name literally means "little star." The symbol itself, a small star-shaped mark, was used by ancient and medieval scribes to flag passages, and the English word "asterisk" comes from this same Greek source. This term is a learned borrowing from Latin, meaning English took it directly from the classical language rather than passing it down through everyday speech. It is also a doublet of "asterisk," meaning the two words descend from the same origin but entered English by different routes and took on slightly different forms and uses. The Latin form has stayed in the language as a specialized, somewhat more formal variant, which is why it appears in technical and editorial contexts while "asterisk" remains the everyday name.