what's the difference between a hyphen, a dash and a minus sign? [closed]

The minus and hyphen sign are the same thing. A hyphen is a short, single-character line which connects word parts (i.e. ice-cream). A dash is a longer line—double the length of a hyphen—which indicates a break or an interruption in the thought. Dashes are used to set off part of a sentence. Unlike parentheses, which tend to minimize, dashes tend to emphasize the set-off text (i.e. There was only one person suited to the job—Mr. Lee).

I am not sure of their origin.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/3/7/98/ http://www.edufind.com/english-grammar/hyphens-and-dashes/