Communication

ARCNET (Attached Resource Computer Network): an early token‑passing LAN ARCNET ARCNET is an early local‑area networking protocol (late 1970s) that used token‑passing and a star topology. It was widely used for office automation and later for industrial and em…

Area code 242 — telephone numbering for the Bahamas Area code 242 Area code 242 is the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) code assigned to the Bahamas. Overview of its numbering format, dialing rules, history, and practical dialing examples.

Area code 268 (Antigua and Barbuda) Area code 268 Area code 268 is the North American Numbering Plan telephone code for Antigua and Barbuda. It is used for domestic seven-digit dialing and is reached from other NANP countries by d…

Area code 307 — the telephone code for Wyoming Area code 307 Area code 307 is the single North American Numbering Plan area code serving the entire U.S. state of Wyoming. Created in 1947, it remains the state's sole area code and covers all…

Area code 401: the telephone code for Rhode Island Area code 401 Area code 401 is the single North American Numbering Plan code covering the entire U.S. state of Rhode Island, assigned in 1947 and still in use today as the state's sole area code…

Area code 620 — Southern Kansas telephone area code Area code 620 Area code 620 serves most of southern Kansas. Created in 2001 from a split of 316, it spans the state from the Colorado to Missouri borders and surrounds the Wichita metro.

Area code 785 (northern Kansas) Area code 785 Area code 785 serves most of northern Kansas. Created in 1997 from a split of 913, it covers Topeka, Lawrence, Manhattan, Salina, Junction City, Hays and surrounding communities.

Area code 802 — Vermont's statewide telephone prefix Area code 802 Area code 802 is the single North American Numbering Plan code serving the entire U.S. state of Vermont. Established in 1947, it remains the sole area code for the state and a loca…

Area code 808 — Hawaii Area code 808 Area code 808 is the single North American Numbering Plan area code serving the Hawaiian Islands since 1957; it covers all counties and is a widely used regional identifier in busi…

Area code 869 — Saint Kitts and Nevis telephone numbering Area code 869 Area code 869 is the North American Numbering Plan code assigned to Saint Kitts and Nevis. It was created in 1996 after a split from area code 809 and is dialed as +1 869 for inter…

Area code 989 (northeastern Michigan) Area code 989 Area code 989 is a North American Numbering Plan code serving northeastern lower Michigan, created in 2001; it identifies telephone service areas including Saginaw, Midland and Bay…

Area codes 202 and 771 (Washington, D.C.) Area codes 202 and 771 Overview of NANP area codes 202 and 771 for the District of Columbia: history, coverage, overlay implementation, dialing changes, and cultural significance.

Telephone area codes in Germany (Vorwahl) Area codes in Germany Overview of Germany's telephone area codes: structure, regional blocks, special non-geographic prefixes, dialing rules, history and regulatory notes for national and international…

Arecibo Message (1974) Arecibo message A radio transmission sent from the Arecibo telescope in 1974 that encoded basic information about humanity and Earth; intended as a technological demonstration and symbolic message…

Armenian language: history, features, and modern varieties Armenian language Armenian is an Indo-European language that forms its own branch, uses a unique alphabet, and exists in Eastern and Western standard forms spoken in Armenia, the diaspora, and Nagor…

Assamese language (অসমীয়া) Assamese language Assamese is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language of Northeast India, the principal language of Assam, with its own script variant, multiple dialects, and a long literary and cultural tra…

Asterisk (typographic symbol) Asterisk An overview of the asterisk: its form, names, history, and common uses in writing, computing, and typography.

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) — fixed‑cell switching for QoS and carrier networks Asynchronous Transfer Mode Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a connection‑oriented networking technology that carries data in fixed 53‑byte cells to provide predictable delay and quality of service for voi…

At sign (@): origin, uses, and cultural significance At sign Overview of the at sign (@), its debated origins, historical uses in commerce and email, roles in programming and social media, keyboard placement, and notable linguistic and cultu…

Audible Audible is a provider of audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment, known for its subscription service, proprietary formats, and production platform; the term also denotes 'able to…

Australian English: Overview, Features, History and Varieties Australian English A concise encyclopedia entry on Australian English: its features, history, regional varieties, vocabulary differences, and cultural importance within Australia and beyond.

Australian Overland Telegraph Line The 19th-century telegraph link that connected Darwin with southern Australia, completing a global communications route and transforming the continent's settlement, administration…

Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS) Austrian Sign Language Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS) is the natural sign language of Austria’s deaf community. It has its own grammar, cultural role, and legal recognition; used by roughly 10,000 people a…

Austroasiatic languages: overview, classification and significance Austroasiatic languages A family of some 150–160 languages of mainland Southeast Asia and eastern India, including Vietnamese and Khmer; diverse typology, historical depth, and several endangered language…

Azerbaijani language (Azeri) Azerbaijani language A Turkic (Oghuz) language spoken across the South Caucasus and northwestern Iran, with distinct northern and southern varieties, multiple scripts, and important cultural and offici…

Balochi language Balochi is a Northwestern Iranian language spoken by the Baloch across Pakistan, eastern Iran and southern Afghanistan. It has several dialect groups, a strong oral tradition and l…

Baltic languages Indo-European languages of the Balto-Slavic branch spoken around the Baltic Sea, including Lithuanian, Latvian and the extinct Old Prussian; notable for conservative grammatical an…

Balto-Slavic languages A branch of the Indo-European family that groups the Baltic and Slavic languages. Discusses shared features, history, geographic distribution, principal modern languages, and debat…

Bandwidth: definitions, types, measurement, and practical importance Bandwidth Bandwidth describes the width of a frequency range or the rate of data transfer. This article explains analog and digital meanings, measurement, applications, and common confusions…

Banner (flag or cloth display) Banner A banner is a cloth or other material bearing a symbol, slogan, logo or message used for identity, ceremony, communication, advertising and decoration in public and private setting…

Bashkardi language Bashkardi is an Iranian language of southeastern Iran with multiple dialects that form a transition between Larestani varieties and Balochi; it is mainly oral and regionally distri…

Bashkir language A Turkic language of the Ural–Volga region, Bashkir is spoken primarily in Bashkortostan and neighboring areas; it has rich agglutinative grammar, a history of multiple script refo…

Basic English: an introduction to the 850-word controlled language Basic English Basic English is a simplified controlled language developed by C.K. Ogden around an 850-word core. It aims to make complex ideas accessible, with influence on teaching, technical w…

Basque language (Euskara) Basque language Basque (Euskara) is a language isolate spoken in the Basque Country and diaspora. It predates surrounding Indo-European tongues and is noted for ergative grammar, rich morphology,…

Baud — unit of symbol rate in telecommunications Baud Baud (Bd) measures symbol rate — symbols transmitted per second — and differs from bit rate. This article explains the concept, history, relation to modulation, and practical examp…

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is the BBC’s national contemporary music and youth-oriented radio station, launched in 1967 to serve younger audiences with new pop, live sessions and specialist shows.

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is the BBC’s national music and entertainment radio network in the United Kingdom, broadcasting a broad mix of popular and specialist music and speech programming since…

Be (Cyrillic letter Б, б) Be (Cyrillic) Be (Б, б) is the second letter of the Cyrillic alphabet. It represents the voiced bilabial stop /b/, derives from Greek beta, and appears in many Slavic and non‑Slavic languages wi…

Belarusian language: overview, history, writing systems, and contemporary status Belarusian language Belarusian is an East Slavic language of the Indo-European family, spoken in Belarus and by diaspora communities. Article covers its features, scripts (Cyrillic and Latin), history…

Belizean Creole (Kriol) Belizean Creole Belizean Creole (Kriol) is an English‑based creole language spoken widely in Belize and the region; it serves as a national lingua franca with distinct grammar, history, and cultur…

Bengali (Bangla): language, history, script, dialects and cultural role Bengali language Bengali (Bangla) is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in Bangladesh and parts of India. This article summarizes its origins, script, dialects, literature, and modern sig…

Bengali Language Movement Movement in then-East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) demanding recognition of Bengali; peaked with demonstrations in 1952 and shaped Bengali national identity and commemorations such as…

Bengali script (Eastern Nagari): alphabet, history and uses Bengali script The Bengali script, also called Eastern Nagari, is an abugida used to write Bengali and Assamese. This article explains its structure, history, regional forms and modern digital us…

Bengali Wikipedia The Bengali (Bangla) edition of Wikipedia, offering free encyclopedic content in the Bengali script for speakers in Bangladesh and parts of India, maintained by a volunteer communi…

Bengali–Assamese (Eastern Nagari) script Bengali–Assamese script A Brahmic abugida used for Bengali, Assamese and several eastern Indian and Bangladeshi languages; historically for Sanskrit and notable for its conjuncts, vowel signs and regional…

Bihari languages A group of Eastern Indo-Aryan languages spoken mainly in Bihar and neighbouring regions, including Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magahi, with rich oral traditions, diverse scripts, and no…

Bikol languages Cluster of Austronesian languages spoken across the Bicol Peninsula and nearby islands of southeastern Luzon, Philippines, with several regional varieties and notable Spanish and V…

Bilabial consonant Consonants articulated with both lips. Overview of articulation, main types (plosives, nasals, fricatives, trill), occurrence in languages, examples, and distinctions from other la…