Long s
That be enough for s or Inlaut s "?" is one typographic Variant of the Letter s (or linguistically said: a position-conditioned is allographische Variant of the Graph Ems <s>). In the writings, in those it is used, becomes it for the sGraphem in the Anlaut or Inlaut of one Syllable written, while in the Auslaut of a syllable the round s one uses. Into that broken writings does that have? are used, in Antiqua (or Latin) writing can it to be used, and in the German linguistic area one did not in former times regularly only use. "?" forms also the first component of the two Ligatures "??" ("?z") and "?s", from those the letter ss came out.
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Emergence
Is original "?" (Minuskel)Grundform of the letter - so in that Karolingi minuskelWriting of the Middle Ages, the one advancement that antique, latin Capital letterWriting represents. "s" came later than typographic (and/or handwritten) variant of "?" in addition and/or. replaced "?".
The differentiation between long and short s loses since that 18. Century at meaning. The long s became nearly sudden in French texts with that Revolution uncommonly. That Parisian astronomical yearbook "Connaissance you temps" for example uses "?" up to the feature year 1792, off 1793 but "s", at the same time the yearly counting changes on that Revolution calendar and the dedication of the book series. In the following years it begins to disappear in the Antiqua sentence also in German texts, however in two phases. During it in the on or Inlaut already at the beginning of the 19. Century soon as round s one writes, it remains as a component of the double in the syllable from sound in the form of "?s" (z. B. in Flu?s) receive first, until approximately around center of the century also double in this position as "ss" one writes (thus River). This becomes again around 1900 by (after short vowel only up to Spelling reform of 1996 usual) way of writing with "ss"("Eszett "; accordingly to the??-ligature in German type set) replaces ("river"). Isolated books anticipate the trend, already 1811 is a work of the count von Buquoz, only "ss" uses, while others refuse themselves to it. The annual appearing thing "Berlin astronomical yearbook"writes for example to 1910 "?s", over then 1911 to change transitionless too "ss".
That? can in some Character fonts with the f to be confounded, if the distinction is only weakly worked out.
Use
The use of the? German-language Texts leads in some cases to an easement for the reader. This comes off by cooperating the following peculiarities:
- Many German words end with s, there this letter both and Pluralendung, and for the drop marking serves
- The s is frequently one Joint with the education of Komposita
- Komposita are written together in German
- S (also Sch, FR, St) is in that German language the most frequent initial letter; Komposita, their second word component with S begins, are in this way faster recognizable.
- Something similar applies to komposita, their second component with CH, P oder T beginnt: Here a preceding round s does not even entice to it, the discussion of the s erroneously in/sch/ to change (example: Entry door, Rabbit).
In these cases discussion and meaning depend on it, whether the s stands in the Auslaut or in the Anlaut. Therefore the differentiation can between? and s for the reader of special advantage its. Example: By use of the long? it is also without Context immediately clearly, whether one Wach?tube (wach-Stube) or one Waxtube (wachs-Tube) is meant.
Rules for use
Rules for the use of the Inlaut s from that Duden from 1895 are under Classical German Rechtschreibung#Ueber the s-sounds.
The rules to the long and round s are today often unknown, and their distinction is not so easily realizable with many wide-spread decorative computer writings and computer programs. Since for advertising purposes and prints nevertheless also by typographic laymen broken writings are used in particular, result frequently errors themselves on large sized pub describing, Strassenschildern or posters. There the writings mentioned often only the round s possess or around mistakes with the f to avoid, instead of a necessary long s often wrongly a round s is set (so for example since at the end of of 2004 in that FAZ). Sometimes becomes however with existing long s (probably due to a kind typographic Hypercorrection) the long s uses also there, where a round s would have to stand.
In principle should one itself for the correct distribution of s and? notice:
- s can stand and may only in the syllable from sound, in all other cases must? are used (z. B. House, Pils, abruptly, Cosmos, but: Haeu?er, Pil?en, ?kandaloes, in-??enieren).
Hereunder applies to the syllable from sound in detail:
- s must stand in any case at the word ending, that applies also in komposita (word compositions) and at the end of prefixes (prefixes) (z. B. Unter?uchungsergebnis, Tuesday, disharmoni?ch, Dispo?ition, but note!: ?? also with assimilated prefixes one uses, z. B. a??imiliert).
- In the syllable from sound can under certain conditions in place of s also? stand. Because? in any case in the first position of the connections?? /?s, ?t and?p to stand must, independently of the syllable structure (z. B. Wa??er, Fa?s [ new Rechtschr.], A?t, ?ech?te, you steh?t, pa??t [ new Rechtschr.], knu?pern). The same applies also to?ch, ?? (and other letter combinations from other languages: ?h etc..), but only if they are spoken as in each case a sound (Digraphen), and for? before l, n, r, but only if between them a "e" failed (z. B. Bu?ch, E?che, Company?? [ old Rechtschr., = barrel ], Fu?? [ = foot ]; Wech?ler, Pil?ner, un?re, but: Eschatologie, fas?inierend; Convict, 이슬람교, Oslo, Osnabrueck).
- This rule for? does not apply however in komposita (word compositions) and at the end of prefixes (prefixes), see rule 2! (Tuesday, Dispo?ition, but note!: ?? also with assimilated prefixes one uses, z. B. a??imiliert.)
- That means thus, that? may in the syllable from sound only in ??, ?t, ?p, in ?ch, ?? (?h etc..) and in ?l, ?n and ?r stand.
Representation in computer systems and replacement
Coding
In the international Indication coding system University code lies? on position:
- U+017F > Latin small type character long s< (Latin small letter long s).
In the outdated ASCII-Character set the indication is not contained, why many older computer systems could not represent it.
In the InterNet document format HTML the indication is coded as follows:
-
ſ(in hexadecimals) and -
ſ(decimally).
Keyboard
That? is up Keyboards missing.
Replacement
The indication cannot be represented, because it in the used Character font or that Character set is missing, so it should be replaced by the normal conclusion s > s<.
There however practically all modern computer systems and writings up University code are based, the indication can nowadays problem-free world-wide represented, processed, to be transferred and archived. A replacement for technical reasons is therefore hardly still necessary. Even if the used keyboard does not exhibit the indication, it can practically always over an appropriate function of the Operating system or the respective Text editor are inserted.
See also
- German writing
- German type (writing)
