>>>...
>>>>>was supposed to be circumflex - ^
>>>>>>
>>>>>>We call it a caret
>>>>>
>>>>>No, it's circumflex. < or > are left- and right-caret, surely.
>>>>
>>>>Check Webster's. We call it a 'caret'. We normally refer to > as the "greater than" sign, and < as the "less than" sign, but yes, I know ^ can also be referred to as a 'circumflex'. Here it's just waaaaaay more common to call it a 'caret'. I suppose it also depends on the use. A circumflex is used to clarify pronunciation or accent, or whatever. A caret is used to show an insert.
>>>
>>>Well, as you seemed so sure I eventually did check and got:
>>>
>>>"a wedge-shaped mark made on written or printed matter to indicate the place where something is to be inserted"
>>>
>>>How that is intrerpreted as being "an up-pointing arrow that goes on top of a letter to denote a different pronunciation, or where, say, in French, the "e" was formerly followed by an "s" (e.g. fenêtre cf fenestre)" I don't know.
>>
>>I think you just lost me. Clearly, you looked up 'caret'. Did you look up 'circumflex'?
>
>Yes and it doesn't seem to include it as a thing, rather as a description of "bending round". In my French at school I learned it to be the "up arrow".

Ahh. You didn't check the 'noun' version which actually displays the creature.

>"Fenêtre" comes from the Latin "Fenestra". In many cases old French words, like "Fenestre" had the "s" removed and, to show that the "e" is still pronounced, it had a circumflex put over it.
>
>e.g. Forêt (forest)
>
>>
>>>
>>>Trust me, a caret is "greater than" or "less than" symbol. But as long as the "we" in your office are all on the same page about the meaning I suppose no harm's done :-)
>>
>>I trust you, and if it were just my office, I'd happily accept your definition, but believe me, it's hardly just my office.
>>
>>Editors constantly use ^ to insert words or letters into documents, and they call it a 'caret'. I don't recall seeing < or > used the same way, but I suppose they could be - to insert lines maybe?
>
>True, publshers do use the symbol for insertion (as manual mark), with a line going from the point to the place in the doc where the accompanying text is to be placed.
>
>
> Oh... whatever! :-)