Punctuation marks used in pairs to enclose text, or architectural supports projecting from walls.
From French 'braguette,' a codpiece, from 'brague' (breeches). The architectural sense developed from the idea of a projecting support, later applied to punctuation marks that 'support' enclosed text.
It's wonderfully absurd that the brackets we use in writing [ ] got their name from medieval codpieces - those decorative pouches worn over men's breeches - showing how even the most mundane punctuation carries unexpected historical baggage.
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