The plus and minus signs (+ and −) are used universally to represent the notions of positive and negative as well as the operations of addition and subtraction. Their use has been extended to many other meanings, more or less analogous. Plus and minus are Latin terms.

History

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Though the signs now seem as familiar as the alphabet or the Hindu-Arabic numerals, they are not of great antiquity. The Egyptian hieroglyphic sign for addition, for example, resembled a pair of legs walking in the direction in which the text was written (Egyptian was written in varying directions), with the reverse sign indicating subtraction:

D54- or -D55

In Europe in the early 15th century the letters P and M were generally used.

The earliest print appearance of the modern signs seems to come from a book on "Behende und hüpscheenung auff allen Kauffmanschafft" or Mercantile Arithmetic by Johannes Widmann in 1489, used to indicate surpluses and deficits. The + is a simplification of the Latin "et" (comparable to the ampersand &). The − may be derived from a tilde written over m when used to indicate subtraction; or it may come from a shorthand version of the letter m itself.

More on [ Plus and minus signs ]

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@alixandrajayne so no luck on student bodies yet... but I'm not giving up on the hunt easily. Plus, now I want to (re)watch it haha.
Cimchon (Chris Ridge) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:00:24 -0000
@alixandrajayne so no luck on student bodies yet... but I'm not giving up on the hunt easily. Plus, now I want to (re)watch it haha.
@supa_dupa_rk lol brutal is the word huh but hey worthy tho makes you keep fit n healthy plus i love the game. but gd luck 2 ya
Abdull20 (Abdu Abdull) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:55:34 -0000
@supa_dupa_rk lol brutal is the word huh but hey worthy tho makes you keep fit n healthy plus i love the game. but gd luck 2 ya
lemme just say: V is one freaking amazing show :) plus SNL tonight!! can't wait to see @taylorswift13 preform!! good luck!!
seraphina0013 (seraphina0013) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:28:01 -0000
lemme just say: V is one freaking amazing show :) plus SNL tonight!! can't wait to see @taylorswift13 preform!! good luck!!
@MolsonFL I've had good luck at Parts Plus. I bought my car there. Goss (now Vianor) on Finney and Main have aslo always been good.
mattymalone (MattyMalone) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:31:15 -0000
@MolsonFL I've had good luck at Parts Plus. I bought my car there. Goss (now Vianor) on Finney and Main have aslo always been good.
RT @ehammond84: @DonnaLJ I'm trying to talk @slaihingpg3blog into buying me wiifit plus <----NICE!! i wish u luck! lol
donnalj (Donna Jackson) Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:39:33 -0000
RT @ehammond84: @DonnaLJ I'm trying to talk @slaihingpg3blog into buying me wiifit plus <----NICE!! i wish u luck! lol
RT @gregmottola the best advice about 'making it' i've ever heard is from steven soderbergh: "Talent plus tenacity equals luck"
rh_ (ray) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:16:10 -0000
RT @gregmottola the best advice about 'making it' i've ever heard is from steven soderbergh: "Talent plus tenacity equals luck"

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