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{{Short description|Typographical mark (※) }}
{{Infobox symbol
|mark=※
|name=Reference mark
|unicode = {{unichar|203B|Reference mark|html= |nlink=}} ({{lang|ja-Latn|komejirushi}}, {{lang|ko-Latn|chamgopyo}})  
|see also= {{unichar|2A|Asterisk|html=|nlink=}}
|different from={{unichar|205C|Dotted cross|nlink=Obelism}}<br>{{unichar|1360|Ethiopic section mark|html=}}
}}
[[File:Handwritten notice in Japanese-komejirushi at the bottom of each page.png|thumb|Handwritten notice in Japanese. Note the ''komejirushi'' at the bottom of each page, preceding the footnotes.]]
The '''reference mark''' or '''reference symbol''' "'''※'''" is a [[typographic]] mark or word used in [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]] and [[Korean language|Korean]] (CJK) writing.

The symbol was used historically to call attention to an important sentence or idea, such as a prologue or footnote.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Juggler of Notre Dame and the Medievalizing of Modernity|author=Jan M. Ziolkowski|year=2018|isbn=978-1783744367|page=47|quote=[…] The Japanese ''komejirushi'' (“rice symbol”), so called for its similarity to the kanji for ''kome'' (“rice”) and used in Japanese writing to denote an important sentence or thought.}}</ref> As an indicator of a note, the mark serves the same purpose as the [[Asterisk#Typography|asterisk]] in English. However, in Japanese usage, the note text is placed directly into the main text immediately after the reference mark, rather than at the bottom of the page or end of chapter as is the case in English writing.

== Names ==
The Japanese name, '''{{lang|ja-Latn|komejirushi}}''' ({{lang-ja|こめじるし}}; {{lang|ja|米印}}, {{IPA|ja|komedʑiꜜɾɯɕi|pron}}, {{literal translation|rice symbol}}), refers to the symbol's visual similarity to the {{lang|ja-Latn|[[kanji]]}} for "rice" ({{lang|ja|[[米]]}}).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q2VzBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA30|title=Japanese in a Flash|volume=2|isbn=9781462915385|last1=Millen|first1=John|date=15 April 2008}}</ref>

In Korean, the symbol's name, '''{{lang|ko-Latn|chamgopyo}}''' ({{lang-ko|참고표; 参考表}}), simply means "reference mark". Informally, the symbol is often called '''{{lang|ko-Latn|danggujangpyo}}''' ({{lang|ko|당구장표}}; {{literal translation|[[billiard hall]] mark}}), as it is often used to indicate the presence of pool halls, due to its visual similarity to two crossed [[cue stick]]s and four [[billiard ball]]s.

In Chinese, the symbol is called {{Lang|zh-Latn-pinyin|cānkǎo biāojì}} ({{Lang-zh|s=|t=|p=|l=reference mark|c=参考标记}}) or {{Lang|zh-Latn-pinyin|mǐ xīnghào}} ({{Lang-zh|c=米星号|t=|l=rice asterisk}} due to its visual similarity to {{lang|zh|[[米]]}} "rice"). It is not often used in Chinese writing.

== Unicode ==
In [[Unicode]], the symbol has code point {{unichar|203B|REFERENCE MARK|html=}}

== See also ==
*{{annotated link|Syncword}}, also called reference signal or midamble in wireless communications.
* {{annotated link|Dagger (mark)}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

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[[Category:Symbols]]
[[Category:Japanese writing system]]
[[Category:Korean writing system]]