**

See also: * *

Translingual

Symbol

**

1. (linguistics) When used before a term:
   2. (descriptive linguistics) Indicates that a term or phrase is more grammatically incorrect (or otherwise ill-formed) than another incorrect formation which has already been marked with *.

      Coordinate term: *

      Compare the following sentences:

      Eats like a pig.

      *Eats like pig.

      **Pig like eats.

   4. (historical linguistics) Indicates that the term has been invented for the sake of argument, and is not assumed to have been real.

      Coordinate term: *

      Hebrew תָּמָר (tamár⁩, “date”) must have been borrowed from Aramaic תְּמָרָא (təmārā, “date”), because the expected Hebrew reflex would have been **שָׁמָר (**shamár).

      • 2025, Cid Swanenvleugel, The Pre-Roman Elements of the Sardinian Lexicon, page 261:

        The fact that -e only occurs in bètte and -i only in bítti (rather than **bétti or **bítte), makes it look like the paragogic vowel that regularly develops in Sardinian after word-final consonants.

2. (programming) Exponentiation.

   n**2 = n² = n × n

Usage notes

• (descriptive linguistics) Further asterisks may be added as required.