Virgule

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈvɜː.ɡjuːl/

Definitions

1. A diagonal line utilized in writing to separate distinct elements or indicate alternatives within a sentence
2. A slanted mark appearing in written language that serves to delineate choices or provide clarity in lists
3. A slanting line used in text to divide phrases or show options between words

Etymology: The virgule is a small slanted stroke, the mark that today separates "and/or" or "km/h." Its name comes from Latin "virgula," a little twig or rod, itself a diminutive of "virga," meaning rod or branch. The Latin word was also used for a short scratch or stroke, which is why a mark shaped like a thin, slanting line picked up the same name. The name passed into English by way of Middle French "virgule," which was borrowed from the same Latin base. English thus took the word through French rather than straight from Latin, and "virgula" survives as a doublet in English, a separate form of the same root that arrived by a different route. The Latin source was a plain botanical image: a slender shoot cut from a plant.

Synonyms: slash, solidus