Reference mark

<h2 id="names">Names</h2>
<p>The Japanese name, <i>komejirushi</i> (<a href="/facts/Japanese_language/EEv485a5">Japanese</a>: こめじるし; 米印, pronounced [komedʑiꜜɾɯɕi], lit. 'rice symbol'), refers to the symbol's visual similarity to the <i><a href="/facts/Kanji/E1IN7hVL">kanji</a></i> for "rice" (<a href="/facts/%E7%B1%B3/9kR4dREY">米</a>).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>
</p><p>In Korean, the symbol's name, <i>chamgopyo</i> (<a href="/facts/Korean_language/dmNnRxAA">Korean</a>: 참고표; 参考表), simply means "reference mark". Informally, the symbol is often called <i>danggujangpyo</i> (당구장표; lit. '<a href="/facts/Billiard_hall/nUssSplq">billiard hall</a> mark'), as it is often used to indicate the presence of pool halls, due to its visual similarity to two crossed <a href="/facts/Cue_stick/tXNpfDrk">cue sticks</a> and four <a href="/facts/Billiard_ball/3568TLFe">billiard balls</a>.
</p><p>In Chinese, the symbol is called <i>cānkǎo biāojì</i> (<a href="/facts/Chinese_language/771ruUY1">Chinese</a>: 参考标记; lit. 'reference mark') or <i>mǐ xīnghào</i> (<a href="/facts/Chinese_language/771ruUY1">Chinese</a>: 米星号; lit. 'rice asterisk' due to its visual similarity to <a href="/facts/%E7%B1%B3/9kR4dREY">米</a> "rice"). It is not often used in Chinese writing.
</p>
<h2 id="unicode">Unicode</h2>
<p>In <a href="/facts/Unicode/DDu3MfPV">Unicode</a>, the symbol has code point U+203B ※ REFERENCE MARK.
</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Syncword/rU9xSwJV">Syncword</a> – "Preamble" to communications message data after a header, also called reference signal or midamble in wireless communications.</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Dagger_(mark)/lDNNgbgr">Dagger (mark)</a> – Symbol († ‡) for footnotes, etc.</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Jan M. Ziolkowski (2018). The Juggler of Notre Dame and the Medievalizing of Modernity. p. 47. ISBN 978-1783744367. […] The Japanese komejirushi ("rice symbol"), so called for its similarity to the kanji for kome ("rice") and used in Japanese writing to denote an important sentence or thought. <a href="978-1783744367" target="_blank">978-1783744367</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Millen, John (15 April 2008). Japanese in a Flash. Vol. 2. ISBN 9781462915385. <a href="9781462915385" target="_blank">9781462915385</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

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