View source for /

{{character info|/}}
{{character info/var|⧸|／}}
{{also|⁄|∕|🙼|uni=auto}}
{{also|\:/}}
:: ''See also: [[/ /]] for the use of / to enclose other characters.''
:: ''See also: [[\]].''

==Translingual==
{{wikipedia|slash (punctuation)|slash}}
{{rfc|mul|The entry is too English for being Translingual, several meanings could be English instead of Translingual. Another example besides the labels: In German the conjunction for "exclusive or" is not more proscribed than the conjunction for "inclusive or". It might also be so in English, as it could be that "s/he" and (maybe: *) "wo/man" are proscribed, while "she/he" and "man/woman" are just sometimes proscribed.}}

===Etymology===
The various uses of the present symbol derive from several sources. The medieval [[virgule]] ({{cog|la|virgula}}) was an [[oblique]] or [[vertical]] line that served as a [[comma]], [[period]], and caesura mark and is still used in literary contexts to mark line breaks in verse. (This mark separately developed as the {{nowrap|[[comma]] ⟨[[,]]⟩}} and {{nowrap|[[caesura]] mark ⟨[[‖]]⟩}} and some senses of the {{nowrap|[[vertical bar]] ⟨{{l|mul|{{!}}}}⟩.)}} The [[shilling mark]] ({{cog|la|solidus}}) was variously written [[s.]] or as the [[long s]] [[ſ]]. This eventually developed into a single unpunctuated slash; its use to separate shillings from pence was sometimes generalized to any currency division. Most mathematical senses derived from the earlier horizontal [[fraction bar]] (as in <span style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:-0.5em; font-size:85%; text-align:center;"><span style="display:block; line-height:1em; margin:0 0.1em;">1</span><span style="display:block; line-height:1em; margin:0 0.1em; border-top:1px solid;">2</span></span>, usually attributed to Arabic mathematician {{w|al-Hassar}}), rewritten with a slash by the 18th century to permit fractions to be written on a single line. As a separator and conjunction, it represents an oblique form of the {{nowrap|[[dash]] ⟨[[–]]⟩}} or {{nowrap|[[hyphen]] ⟨[[-]]⟩.}} Its use to mark supposed actions derives from command formatting in online chat forums, while its use to comment on preceding text derives from its use in some programming languages to form closing tags. Its present British name {{m|en|stroke}} derives from its use in telegraphy; its present American name {{m|en|slash}} gained wide currency from its use in computing.

===Punctuation mark===
{{mul-punctuation mark|name=slash|name2=stroke|name3=solidus}}

# {{senseid|mul|line break}} {{non-gloss|Used to [[denote]] a [[line#Noun|line]] or [[paragraph]] [[break#Noun|break]] when [[quote#Verb|quoting]] [[poem]]s, [[script]]s, [[song]] [[lyric#Noun|lyrics]], etc. in a [[single#Adjective|single]]-line [[format#Noun|format]].}}
#: {{ux|en|Never gonna give you up '''/''' Never gonna let you down}}
# {{ng|Used to [[separate]] [[alternative]] [[options]].}}
## {{lb|mul|computing}} {{non-gloss|Used to separate commands or [[key#Noun|keys]] that can be typed, usually in a command [[prompt#Noun|prompt]].}}
##: {{ux|en|QUIT? Y'''/'''N}}
## {{lb|mul|sometimes|proscribed}} {{non-gloss|Used to separate [[multiple]] [[gendered]] [[inflection]]s in "[[gender-neutral]]" writing.}}
##: {{ux|en|[[s/he|s'''/'''he]]|she or he}}
##: {{ux|de|Freund'''/'''innen; ein'''/'''e Beamt'''/'''er'''/'''in|friends (of any gender); an officer (of any gender)|termlang=mul}}
# {{lb|mul|informal|texting}} {{non-gloss|Used to [[show#Verb|show]] that the [[following]] [[text#Noun|text]] is to be [[understand|understood]] as an [[action]] or [[programming]] [[command#Noun|command]] [[perform]]ed by the writer, in the manner of an [[online]] [[chat#Noun|chat]] command.}}
#: {{ux|en|'''/'''fliptable}}
# {{senseid|mul|tone indicator}} {{lb|mul|informal|programming|texting}} {{non-gloss|Denotes a given attribute of the [[preceding]] content in the manner of a [[closing]] [[tag]]. See [[tone tag]].}}
#: {{ux|en|I support him completely [[/s|'''/'''s]]<nowiki/>arcasm}}
# {{lb|mul|computing}} {{n-g|Used to [[separate#Verb|separate]] the [[nest#Verb|nest]]ed [[directory]] [[level#Noun|level]]s in a [[file#Noun|file]] or [[URL]] [[path#Noun|path]].}}
#: {{ux|en|'''/'''Documents'''/'''work'''/'''financial'''/'''Earnings.odt}}
## {{lb|mul|when used in isolation}} {{n-g|The [[root#Noun|root]] [[path#Noun|path]] of a [[Unix]] or [[Unix-like]] [[operating system]].}}
# {{lb|mul|numismatics|sometimes|_|proscribed}} {{non-gloss|Used to [[separate#Verb|separate]] [[base#Adjective|base]] [[currency]] [[unit]]s from their [[subdivision]]s; or, when followed by a [[dash#Noun|dash]] or [[hyphen]] [[mark#Verb|marking]] an [[even#Adjective|even]] [[sum#Noun|sum]].}}
#: {{ux|en|£10'''/'''– is ten [[quid]] even.}}
# {{lb|mul|poker}} {{non-gloss|Used to separate the [[small blind]] from the [[big blind]].}}
#: {{ux|en|Which game do you want to play? The $1'''/'''$2 or the $2'''/'''$5?}}
# {{lb|mul|proofreading}} {{non-gloss|Used to denote the [[end]] of a [[marginal]] [[note#Noun|note]], or to separate two such notes.}}
# {{non-gloss|Used [[in place of]] a [[dash#Noun|dash]] or [[hyphen]] in several contexts.}}
## {{non-gloss|Uses relating to [[time#Noun|time]] [[period]]s.}}
### {{lb|mul|usually|_|informal}} {{non-gloss|Used to separate the [[component]]s of a [[date#Noun|date]].}}
###: {{ux|en|9'''/'''11 is September 11th to most Americans but the 9th of November in the British Isles.}}
### {{non-gloss|Used to mark a period [[span#Verb|spanning]] two dates, such as the [[night]] beginning on one [[day]] and ending on the next, or the [[winter]] spanning two [[year]]s.}}
###: {{ux|en|[[Santa Claus]] is said to visit all the world’s children on the night of December 24'''/'''25.}}
### {{lb|mul|ISO}} {{non-gloss|Used to mark normal date ranges.}}
###: {{ux|en|We coded that over the fall term of our senior year, 2010-09-01'''/'''12-22.}}
## {{non-gloss|Used to separate a particular amount (such as a score) or location (such as a page) from the total number of possible points or similar items;}} [[out of]].
##: {{ux|en|I got a grade of 85'''/'''100 on the midterm test.}}
## {{lb|mul|politics}} {{non-gloss|Used to separate [[percentage]]s [[for#Adjective|for]] and [[against#Adjective|against]] or [[approve|approving]] and [[disapprove|disapproving]] (always in that order) in [[poll#Noun|poll]] [[result#Noun|results]].}}
##: {{ux|en|Her approval numbers stand at 42'''/'''23, meaning she presently has a net favorability of +19 but that a large number of voters remain undecided.}}
# {{non-gloss|Used in forming some [[abbreviation]]s.}}
## {{non-gloss|Used to form abbreviations of units derived through [[division]]}} : [[per]].
##: {{ux|en|Our rent is $600'''/'''[[mo.]]}}
##: {{ux|en|The formal abbreviation for kilometers per hour is km'''/'''h.}}
##: {{ux|en|The exchange rate of euros in terms of dollars is expressed EUR'''/'''USD.}}
## {{non-gloss|Used to form numerous [[contraction]]s and [[initialism]]s, particularly of two-word phrases.}}
##: {{ux|en|w'''/''' (with), w'''/'''o (without), b'''/'''c (because), and 24'''/'''7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).}}
## {{non-gloss|Used in some contexts to mark [[hierarchy|hierarchies]].}}
##: {{ux|en|The American Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation is formally abbreviated FAA'''/'''AST.}}
# {{lb|mul|internet slang|originally Japanese|derived from manga iconography ({{m|ja|漫符}})}} {{n-g|Indicates blushing. Used at the end of a sentence. Usually used more than once.}}
# {{lb|mul|obsolete}} A [[medieval]] and [[early modern]] form of the [[comma]] ⟨[[,]]⟩.
# {{lb|mul|obsolete}} A [[medieval]] form of the [[period]] ⟨{{l|mul|.}}⟩.
# ''See'' '''[[/ /#Translingual|/ /]]''' ''for uses of the slash to enclose other characters, as in ''{{IPAchar|/pɹənʌnsiˈeɪʃənz/}}''.''

====Usage notes====
* The mark was originally known as the {{m|en|virgula}} or {{m|en|virgule}} in its medieval use as a form of [[period]] or [[comma]]. It is now defined by [[w:Unicode|Unicode]] and [[w:ISO|ISO]] as the {{m|en|solidus}}, a late-19th-century British term for the [[shilling mark]]. (Some typographers mistaken label this mark as the {{m|en|virgule}} and distinguish the {{m|en|solidus}} as the fraction slash ⟨⁄⟩, but neither historical nor present official use supports such a distinction.) The mark is now generally known by the American term {{m|en|slash}} or {{m|en|forward slash}}, although still frequently known as a {{m|en|stroke}} in British English. For translations and less common English names, see {{m|en|slash}}.
* In most uses such as to indicate date separations and line breaks, the mark is not mentioned when the text is read aloud. In some cases, it is replaced by a term, such as “even” for currency or “out of” for totals.

====Synonyms====
* {{sense|many senses}} {{l|mul|-}}, {{l|mul|–}}
* {{sense|line breaks}} {{l|mul|{{!}}}}
* {{sense|currency subdivision mark}} {{l|mul|.}}, {{l|mul|·}}
* {{sense|abbreviation mark}} {{l|mul|.}}, {{l|mul|-}}

====Derived terms====
* {{l|mul|/ /}}

===Conjunction===
{{head|mul|conjunction}}

# {{lb|mul|sometimes|_|proscribed}} [[inclusive or]] {{qualifier|used to link compatible alternatives or joint items}}
#: ''He's an actor '''/''' model.''
# {{lb|mul|proscribed}} [[exclusive or]] {{qualifier|used to link mutually-exclusive alternatives}}
#: ''I think she '''/''' he writes very well.''

====Synonyms====
* {{sense|inclusive or}} {{l|mul|-}}, {{l|mul|&}}

===Symbol===
{{head|mul|symbol}}

# {{lb|mul|math}} A [[single]]-[[line]] [[division sign]], [[use]]d with [[full-size]] [[numeral]]s. See also {{m|mul|∕||division slash}}.
# {{lb|mul|math}} A single-line [[fraction]] [[divider]], used with full-size numerals. See also {{m|mul|⁄||fraction slash}}.
# {{lb|mul|historical|numismatics}} The [[currency sign]] for [[British]], [[Irish]], [[Kenyan]], etc. [[shilling]]s.
# {{lb|mul|orthography}} typographic substitute for the dental click {{angbr IPA|{{l|mul|ǀ}}}}.

====Synonyms====
* {{sense|division}} {{l|mul|÷}}, {{l|mul|∕}}
* {{sense|fraction}} {{l|mul|⁄}}, horizontal [[fraction bar]]
* {{sense|shilling mark}} {{l|en|s.}}
* {{sense|dental click}} {{l|mul|ǀ}}

{{punctuation}}

==English==
{{head|en|symbols}}

# {{lb|en|stenoscript}} The sound sequence /rd/, /rt/, or /rk/ (whether spelled ⟨rk⟩ or ⟨rc⟩).
# {{lb|en|stenoscript}} The suffix or sequence {{m|en|-ward}}.