U+2642, ♂
MALE SIGN

[U+2641]
Miscellaneous Symbols
[U+2643]
Medieval form of the symbol, with the spear crossing the shield

Translingual edit

Etymology edit

The circle and arrow represent the shield and spear, respectively, of the Ancient Greek god of war Ares (and his Ancient Roman equivalent Mars). In the Medieval era the spear had crossed in front of the shield, and the ancient form lacked the shield altogether.[1]

Symbol edit

 
Use of ♂ for Tuesday, nearly underneath the moon hand on the right side of the calendar dial of this 13th-century clock tower.

♂︎

  1. (biology) male.
    Antonym:
    • 1961 August 17, New Scientist, volume 11, number 248 (in English), Reed Business Information, →ISSN, page 413:
      In his Mantissa Plantarum (1767) and Mantissa Plantarum altera (1771), [Linnaeus] regularly used , ♀ and ☿ for male, female and hermaphrodite flowers respectively.
    • 1990, Charles S. Churcher, “Cranial Appendages of Giraffoidea”, George A. Bubenik, Anthony B. Bubenik, Horns, Pronghorns, and Antlers: Evolution, Morphology, Physiology, and Social Significance, New York: Springer-Verlag, →ISBN, chapter 1.5, page 183:
      Figure 2. Ossicones, secondary ossification, and sinuses of Giraffa: A Lateral aspect of skull showing courses of veins, areas of dense ossification (heavily stippled) and lesser secondary ossification (lightly stippled), and outlines of skull roofs of male () and female (♀) adults. (After Spinage 1968b.)
    • 2015 July 6, Andy Burns, “Re: C4 last leg”, in uk.tech.broadcast[2] (Usenet; in English):
      I was quite surprised that a few of my friends found the male (mars) and female ♀ (venus) symbols on toilets in pubs/bars confusing ...
  2. (botany, of a flower) staminate.
  3. (astronomy, astrology) Mars.
  4. (alchemy, archaic) iron.
    Synonym:
  5. (botany, obsolete) biennial.
    (the orbital period of Mars is 2 years)[2]
    Synonym:
  6. (rare) Tuesday.
    Refers to the Latin phrase dies Martis, which literally means "Mars's day".

Derived terms edit

🜡 – copper–iron ore.
  • (gender): – gay.
– heterosexual.
♀:♂ – dioecious.

Related terms edit

Planetary symbols
  ·   ·   ·    ·    ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·    ·   ·    ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·  
Gender and sexuality symbols
  ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·   ·  


Presentations of ♂︎
Text
style
Emoji
style
♂︎ ♂️
Note: Character's appearance
may be different on each system.
Text style is forced with ︎
and emoji style with ️

References edit

  1. ^ Jones, Alexander (1999) Astronomical Papyri from Oxyrhynchus, →ISBN, pages 62–63
  2. ^ J. Lindley (1848) An introduction to botany[1], volume 2, 4 edition, London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, page 385–386

Chinese edit

Etymology edit

From Japanese memes in the Gachimuchi fandom where the sign is placed between or after words to indicate erotic or homosexual things, usually for humorous effect.

Symbol edit

  1. (biology) male
  2. (Internet slang, humorous) Added between two characters of a word or after a word to indicate its relation to homosexual. And derivedly, added to indicate a word's relation to sex.
      ―  zhé xué  ―  homosexual (without the symbol: philosophy)
      ―  jiāo   ―  sexual intercourse (without the symbol: exchange)

References edit


Japanese edit

Etymology edit

For sense 2, associated with the Yaranaika and Gachimuchi memes at Nico Nico Douga, as it was originally added after sexual moaning.

Symbol edit

  1. (biology) male
  2. (Internet slang, humorous) Added between two characters of a word or after a word to indicate its relation to homosexuality. It is also added to indicate a word's relation to sex.
    (tetsugaku; "philosophy", a humorous and misleading tag in Nico Nico Douga to trick viewers into watching Gachimuchi videos)
    アーッ! ("aaa!", sexual moaning turned into an Internet meme)

Descendants edit

  • Chinese: (online slang)

See also edit