A French quotation mark, consisting of angle brackets (« ») used in French typography.
From French, possibly derived from Guillaume (William) or a similar personal name root. The term entered English from French typographical convention, where these specific marks were standardized.
French guillemets are actually more efficient for spacing than straight quotation marks, and designers argue they're more aesthetically pleasing—yet English stuck with simpler marks, showing how accidental standards can persist for centuries.
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