Unsupported titles/^`lowbar`^

See also: ^.^, ^^, and (^_^)

Translingual

Alternative forms

^^, ^.^, ^w^

Etymology

First used in 1986 in an online Deaf community in Japan, independently from :-).^[1] The difference between :-) and ^_^ is likely to come from Western and Eastern ways of looking at facial expressions.^[2]

Symbol

^_^

An emoticon representing a grinning face.
- 2002 January 14, Stuart Dawson, “Re: This made me look at YATA in a whole new light.. o_o”, in uk.media.animation.anime‎^[1] (Usenet; in English):
  having now watched it I just have one thing to say... <grin> So who's got the bollocks to do some cosplay with me then? ^_^
- 2015 November 1, Uncle Monster [username], “Re: OT: Another sure sign of a country in decline”, in alt.home.repair‎^[2] (Usenet; in English):
  She's very cute and talented but if she's really a smoker, she'll wind up looking old before her time. It would be a shame because I love her singing. ^_^

References

^ 顔文字の起源 (_), 2006
^ Cell Press, Facial Expressions Show Language Barriers, Too, ScienceDaily, 16 August 2009:
“We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions,” said Rachael E. Jack of The University of Glasgow. “Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and neglect the mouth.” […]
“Interestingly, there are clear cultural differences in the formations of these icons.” Western emoticons primarily use the mouth to convey emotional states, e.g. : ) for happy and : ( for sad, she noted, whereas Eastern emoticons use the eyes, e.g. ^.^ for happy and ;_; for sad.

[1] 顔文字の起源 (_), 2006

[2] Cell Press, Facial Expressions Show Language Barriers, Too, ScienceDaily, 16 August 2009:
“We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions,” said Rachael E. Jack of The University of Glasgow. “Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and neglect the mouth.” […]
“Interestingly, there are clear cultural differences in the formations of these icons.” Western emoticons primarily use the mouth to convey emotional states, e.g. : ) for happy and : ( for sad, she noted, whereas Eastern emoticons use the eyes, e.g. ^.^ for happy and ;_; for sad.

[1]

[2]