• DoctorSpocktopus@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    26
    ·
    9 months ago

    Um actually…

    Latin: per centum

    Italian per cento

    Abbreviated to p. cento

    Then just pc with a loop for the o in cento

    Then the fraction bar came around to sub for per, the c became a circle, and % was born.

    (Most of this after the adoption of Arabic numerals)

    • _cnt0@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      24
      ·
      9 months ago

      The c became a circle is nonsense. The two circles in % denote the two zeros in 100, as they denote the three zeros in thousand/per mille: ‰.

      • DoctorSpocktopus@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        9 months ago

        I would tend to agree that it’s likely an aspect of the reasoning for the double circle; a visual pun. I don’t know enough to dispute the Wikipedia article with evidence, however.

        If that is the reasoning, I wish they would’ve done something less ambiguous, like -/c or over-lined 100.