**

**

1. (linguistics) When used before a term:
   1. (descriptive linguistics) Indicates that a term or phrase is more grammatically incorrect (or otherwise ill-formed) than another.

      Coordinate term: *

      Compare the following incorrect sentences:

      *Eats like pig.

      **Pig like eats.

   2. (historical linguistics) Indicates that the term has been invented for the sake of argument and is not assumed to have been real.

      Coordinate term: *

      If Hebrew תָּמָר (tamár⁩, “dates”) were cognate to Aramaic תְּמָרָא (təmārā, “dates”) instead of being borrowed from it, the Hebrew form would be שָׁמָר** (**shamár), for thus is the regular correspondence of the Proto-Semitic *ṯ present in its cognate Arabic ثَمَر (ṯamar, “fruits”).

2. (programming) Exponentiation.

   n**2 = n² = n × n

• (descriptive linguistics): Further asterisks may be added as required.