Definition of tilde

The tilde (~) is a punctuation mark with a rich history. Its origin dates back to the 12th century, when it was used by Spanish and Portuguese scribes to indicate a contraction or a omission of sounds in writing. The tilde was adapted from the Latin "tomus," meaning "punctum flexum," or "bent point." In the 16th century, Spanish writers began using the tilde to indicate a nasalized vowel sound, as in "ñ" (eñe). This usage was later adopted by Portuguese and other languages. In the 19th century, the tilde was introduced to mathematics by Norwegian mathematician Carl Johan Malmsten, who used it to represent approximations. Today, the tilde is used globally in various contexts, including typing, punctuation, and music notation.