Meta key
computer key
The Meta key is a modifier key on certain keyboards. It first appeared on the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL)'s SAIL keyboard in 1970.
History
The Meta modifier key first appeared on the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL) keyboard in 1970 and successors such as the Knight keyboard, space-cadet keyboard, MIT Lisp machine, Symbolics keyboards, and on Sun Microsystems keyboards (where it is marked with a black diamond "◆").
The keyboard used with the LINC computer had a meta key in 1962, but it was not a modifier.
Use
Generally, the Meta key worked similar to Macintosh's Command key, in that when held down it modified letters and symbols into immediate commands (shortcuts). On these keyboards the Control key was placed closest to the space bar, then the Meta key outside Control. The space-cadet keyboard added the Super key outside Meta, and the Hyper key outside that. All these keys produced shortcuts (24-1 of them for every letter), but the Control ones were easiest to type and most popular, and the Meta ones second-easiest and thus second most popular. However, on most modern keyboards, the Control key is farthest from the space bar, reversing the convenience of shortcuts.
On keyboards that lack a physical Meta key, its functionality may be invoked by other keys such as the Windows key or Macintosh's Option key.
The public source identifies “Meta key” as computer key. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Meta and computer.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Meta key”, the useful work is to connect “computer key” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 20, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q976383. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1970 and 1962.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Meta key”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Meta key primary sources, Meta key archive and Meta research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Meta key”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Meta key” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.