
French Word of the Day: Esperluette
Why do I need to know Esperluette?
Because it's the French for a very common symbol in language that isn't
l'arobase*
.
What does it mean?
Esperluette
– roughly pronounced ess-per-loo-ette – is the French word for the ampersand or 'and' symbol. It's also sometimes known as '
et commercial
', because so many businesses have it in their name.
It describes the & symbol, which is a typographical combination of the letters E and T. The symbol dates back to Roman times - its first known use is on a papyrus from 45CE. In fact, the French for 'and' is taken from the Latin - et.
Sadly, contrary to popular belief, ampersand was not named after the French physicist André-Marie Ampère. It is not 'Ampère's and', no matter how much we may want it to be.
Advertisement
The origins of the French word are harder to pin down. It could a corruption of the Occitan es per lo et (pronounced ess per loo ett) - which, in French becomes 'C'est pour le « et »' … or, 'it's for the 'and''.
Similarly, it could come from Picardy, as a corruption of perluète - when the symbol & was more commonly included in the alphabet, after the letter Z.
Interestingly, the symbol has evolved over the centuries. But the first recognisably modern form was developed by Claude Garamond - yes, that Garamond, of font fame - in the 15th century for use in printing presses.
Use it like this
Le 'et' entre le V et le B est une esperluette
- the 'and' between the V and the B is an ampersand
* If you've ever given out your email address in French you will know
l'arobase
(pronounced lar-oh-baz), it's the French for the @ symbol

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Euronews
27 minutes ago
- Euronews
Uzbekistan and Hungary agreed to form an enhanced strategic partnership
The US Senate has confirmed Charles Kushner, the father of President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. The 70-year-old real estate developer, who received a presidential pardon from Trump in December 2020 over convictions for witness tampering and tax evasion, was confirmed by a 51-45 vote in the Senate on Monday. When Trump announced his desire to nominate Kushner in November, the US president called him "a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, and dealmaker." Kushner's son Jared is a former White House adviser who is married to Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka. At his confirmation hearing on 1 May before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kushner was asked about his criminal past. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison after pleading guilty to 18 counts. "My misjudgement and mistake was over 20 years ago," Kushner told the hearing. "Since then, I've been pardoned by President Trump. But I don't sit here before you today and tell you I'm a perfect person. I am not a perfect person. I made a very very very serious mistake, and I paid a very heavy price for that mistake," he added. Former New Jersey governor and Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie — who brought the charges against Kushner when he was a US attorney in the early 2000s — said his case was "one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes" he ever prosecuted. Kushner will go to France as the relationship between the two traditional allies, and between Washington and the rest of Europe, has been strained over Trump's trade policies and the US position on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At his confirmation hearing, Kushner said he would work closely with France to "bring greater balance to our important economic relationship" and also encourage France to "invest more in its defence capabilities, as well as lead the EU to align with the US vision of increased European commitments to security." It is unclear how Kushner's appointment will be received in France. After Trump announced his nomination in November, Gérard Araud, a former French ambassador to the US, was among several people to express scepticism or criticism over the decision. "Needless to say, he has no knowledge of our country. At least he will have access to the president. We console ourselves as best we can," Araud wrote in a post on X. Senator Cory Booker, who represents Kushner's home state of New Jersey, was the lone Democrat to vote in favour on Monday. One Republican, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted against it. Uzbekistan and Hungary have agreed to form an enhanced strategic partnership. The treaty was signed by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday afternoon in Budapest. The two countries have also concluded agreements at ministerial level: an extradition treaty, a treaty on cooperation in disaster management and one on climate protection, and an agreement on Hungary's participation in the construction of nuclear power plants in Uzbekistan. The Central Asian country has sent a large delegation to Budapest, with the President, four ministers and several businessmen visiting the Hungarian capital. On Tuesday morning, members of the delegation held talks with Minister of National Economy Márton Nagy and Hungarian businessmen on cooperation opportunities. 'One of the very developed areas in Hungary is fishery, and we have a huge opportunity in Uzbekistan. In the past few years, we brought Hungarian companies and Hungarian genotypes of fish, but in this visit, we are developing with Hungarian companies a new program to establish more extensive and intensive projects" - the minister of agriculture of Uzbekistan, Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov told Euronews. The Uzbek head of state, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also held talks with the Hungarian speaker of the Parliament. At the meeting, László Kövér said that they would like to extend the strategic partnership to closer cooperation between the two parliaments. A group of 68 immigrants from Honduras and Colombia returned to their countries of origin on Monday from Texas as part of a new initiative by the Trump administration. The programme promotes the departure of people in an irregular migratory situation in what the Trump administration is calling "voluntary deportations." In early May, the US government offered a payment of $1,000 (€889) to undocumented migrants who made the choice to leave the country voluntarily. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed on Monday that the first departure flight marks the beginning of the so-called "Project Homecoming" plan. According to Noem, the action is not part of the usual Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, but a voluntary and assisted process. In a post on his X account, Noem said, "If you are in this country illegally, deport yourself NOW and preserve your opportunity to potentially return the legal and correct way." "If you don't, you will be subject to fines, arrest, deportation and never be allowed to return," she added. Participants in the programme used a CBP Home application to formalise their departure and received the money promised to support their return. Upon arrival in both Honduras and Colombia, migrants were met with local assistance. The Hondurans were also included in the 'Hermano, Hermana, Vuelve a Casa' programme, which provides a $100 voucher (€89) for adults, including food aid and job orientation. Colombian returnees were assisted by the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF) and the Department for Social Prosperity (DPS) — agencies in charge of facilitating social and economic reintegration. The programme is part of the new immigration policies promoted by Donald Trump since the start of his second term in office in January, with the aim of reducing irregular immigration in the country. His offer to allow migrants to depart voluntarily has been matched with highly-publicised detentions in the US and flying a couple hundred of Venezuelan migrants to a maximum security prison in El Salvador.


France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Second-hand clothing in France: Out with the new, in with the old
France 05:44 From the show As the French Senate examines an anti-fast fashion bill, we take a look at a more environmentally conscious way of shopping: buying used clothing. In France and elsewhere, the sector is booming as shoppers turn to second-hand shops and online sites to find previously worn bargains. We find out both the upsides, and the downsides, of this growing trend. A programme produced by Amanda Alexander, Marina Pajovic and Georgina Robertson.


Fashion Network
3 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Kering Eyewear acquires Italian lens manufacturer Lenti
Kering Eyewear continues to expand its operations to strengthen its supply chain. The eyewear division of French luxury group Kering has made its third acquisition in less than three months, purchasing Lombardy-based optical lens manufacturer Lenti from Italian group Safilo. The companies did not disclose the value of the transaction. Kering Eyewear describes the deal as 'a key milestone in its industrial development strategy,' providing the opportunity 'to add internal capabilities for the production of Italian-made sun lenses known for exceptional quality, technological innovation, and superior performance,' the company stated in a press release. Entrepreneur Marco Negri founded Lenti in 1996 in Brembate di Sopra, in the province of Bergamo, in partnership with the Safilo Group. The company employs around 100 people and has developed advanced technologies for graphic lenses. It specializes in molding and surface treatments that protect and enhance vision across various applications, including sunglass lenses, visors, lighting components, and protective elements used in the automotive and motorcycle industries. 'We have valued Lenti's products for many years and are proud to welcome the company to Kering Eyewear. It brings an additional area of expertise to our industrial platform of manufacturing capabilities, factories, and, most importantly, outstanding talent,' said Roberto Vedovotto, founder and CEO of Kering Eyewear. Since its creation in 2014, the eyewear division has focused on designing, developing, and selling eyewear, relying on a network of carefully selected production partners. However, the company's rapid growth in recent years—generating €1.6 billion in revenue in 2024—has led it to enhance control over its supply chain by acquiring some of its suppliers. In April, Kering Eyewear acquired Italian manufacturer Visard, which produces optical and sunglass frames using injected plastic, and took a minority stake in Italian company Mistral, known for its acetate frame designs, with the option to complete a full acquisition by 2030.