Medieval Internet term: the Monkey

You know that little "@" sign that has become so important to our way of life? At least on the Internet. It was invented in the Middle Ages, as I learn today from my Medieval nerd chatline. Here is the quote:

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/internet-star-least-473-years-old/

Internet Star @ Least 473 Years Old

Because it is used in every e-mail address and many tweets, you might
be forgiven for thinking that the remarkably common symbol @, which
English-speakers know as the “at sign,” but Italians call a “snail,”
and south Slavs know as a “monkey,” is a fairly recent invention. In
fact, as Wired magazine’s Tony Long points out, a Florentine merchant
named Francesco Lapi used the symbol @ in a letter written 473 years
ago today, on May 4, 1536.

There is nothing new under the Sun.

thanks to Paul Halsall for the info.