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Because slashes (/) were around long before their backwards counterpart came along.

EDIT

Well, it was a nice theory, but according to Wikipedia:

• "The name "slash" is a recent development, first attested in American English c. 1961 ref
• "Bob Bemer introduced the "" character into ASCII on September 18, 1961, as the result of character frequency studies." ref Bemer's own account

The / symbol was around for centuries before it got this name, which (I'm guessing) contributed to it getting the unmarked "slash" name while the novel \ got the marked "backslash" name.

Because slashes (/) were around long before their backwards counterpart came along.

EDIT:

Well, it was a nice theory, but according to Wikipedia:

• "The name "slash" is a recent development, first attested in American English c. 1961" ref
• "Bob Bemer introduced the "\" character into ASCII on September 18, 1961, as the result of character frequency studies." ref Bemer's own account

The / symbol was around for centuries before it got this name, which (I'm guessing) contributed to it getting the unmarked slash name while the novel \ got the marked backslash name.

Because slashes (/) were around long before their backwards counterpart came along.

EDIT

Well, it was a nice theory, but according to Wikipedia:

• "The name "slash" is a recent development, first attested in American English c. 1961 ref
• "Bob Bemer introduced the "" character into ASCII on September 18, 1961, as the result of character frequency studies." ref Bemer's own account

The / symbol was around for centuries before it got this name, which (I'm guessing) contributed to it getting the unmarked "slash" name while the novel \ got the marked "backslash" name.

Because slashes (/) were around long before their backwards counterpart came along.

EDIT

Well, it was a nice theory, but according to Wikipedia:

• "The name "slash" is a recent development, first attested in American English c. 1961 ref
• "Bob Bemer introduced the "" character into ASCII on September 18, 1961, as the result of character frequency studies." ref Bemer's own account

The / symbol was around for centuries before it got this name, which (I'm guessing) contributed to it getting the unmarked "slash" name while the novel \ got the marked "backslash" name.

Because slashes (/) were around long before their backwards counterpart came along.

EDIT

Well, it was a nice theory, but according to Wikipedia:

• "The name "slash" is a recent development, first attested in American English c. 1961 ref
• "Bob Bemer introduced the "" character into ASCII on September 18, 1961, as the result of character frequency studies." ref

The / symbol was around for centuries before it got this name, which (I'm guessing) contributed to it getting the unmarked "slash" name while the novel \ got the marked "backslash" name.

Because slashes (/) were around long before their backwards counterpart came along.

EDIT

Well, it was a nice theory, but according to Wikipedia:

• "The name "slash" is a recent development, first attested in American English c. 1961 ref
• "Bob Bemer introduced the "" character into ASCII on September 18, 1961, as the result of character frequency studies." ref Bemer's own account

The / symbol was around for centuries before it got this name, which (I'm guessing) contributed to it getting the unmarked "slash" name while the novel \ got the marked "backslash" name.