Why is the "<" symbol named the "less-than sign"?

Wed Sep 16 05:43:41 CDT 2020

Hi Folks,

Just curious ...

I realize that mathematicians use the "<" symbol to denote the less-than relation. Who decided that that symbol would denote the less-than relation?

The "<" symbol looks like a "v" turned sideways. How does a sideways "v" symbol connote less-than?

The "<" symbol is used in other places where it has nothing to do with less-than. For example, it is used in HTML and XML such as this: <body>

I suspect there are many places where it is used and has nothing to do with less-than.

So why is the "<" symbol named the "less-than sign"?

/Roger