Diaeresis (diacritic)

The diaeresis (Greek τρῆμα, " hole; Point [ the cube ] "; plural: tremas ), also called the split point is a diacritical mark in the form of a horizontal double point above a vowel. The resulting characters in the orthographies of various languages ​​different functions, generally of two types:

In the first use of the diaeresis in the strict sense exists, the horizontal colon in the second use is usually not referred to as Trema, but as umlaut. The concept of Trema in the broader sense closes the case with a.

• 2.1 Unicode
• 2.2 Input 2.2.1 German keyboard layout
• 2.2.2 Swiss Keyboard Layout
• 2.2.3 Neo - keymap

Use in different languages ​​and fonts

When marking a diaeresis

Often, the diaeresis is used to identify a diaeresis, that is the separate pronunciation of consecutive vowels used.

• In Dutch, the diaeresis is generally used to characterize the separated from the preceding vowel pronunciation of a vowel. Example shows the diaeresis in the word paranoid that the o and i no diphthong form, but spread over two syllables. In geëerd the first e is short, the ë forms, together with the third e a long vowel. Even in English, the diaeresis is sometimes used in this function, eg naïve. In French, it is similar, there runs the Trema on the word for égoïste modified ( here: two-syllable ) pronunciation of the two vowels, while the letters oi general have a different pronunciation [ wa ]. Other examples from the French, the words Noël and Saul, in Dutch reünie. In French, however, the Trema can lead to the e or i also for the stressed pronunciation of a preceding u, such as aiguë in the Word where UE here in contrast to the diaeresis is a vowel, while a u without Trema changed the pronunciation of the g and self- is silent.

• In Catalan, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese orthography of the diaeresis, u is also above the letter when it follows g or ( in Catalan and Portuguese ) and q stands before e or i. Because after these orthographies the consequences mean gu and qu before the letters e and i the phonemes / g / and / k /, whereas before the letters a and o / gw /, and / kw / mean. The diaeresis over the u denotes, therefore, that this is to be spoken of as / w /. Spanish: paraguas " Umbrella " - paragüero " umbrella stand ", both with / gw /; towards lago "lake" - Laguito " small lake ", both with the naked / g /.
• Catalan: llengua "language" llengües " languages ​​", qüestió " question, new topic."
• Since the spelling reform of 1990, this is also true in French.

• In the Greek Scriptures, the Trema finds regular use to equalize spoken digraphs to identify the separate pronunciation of vowels in otherwise than, for example, or αϊ οϊ. Without Trema the vowel combinations are αι or οι as simple / e / or / i / pronounced, the diaeresis of a diphthong is here so only historically seen. For details, see Trema in the modern Greek orthography.

When labeling a different vowel quality

In other orthographies of horizontal colon is a vowel letter is not a contextually -related pronunciation hint, but forms with the vowel letter on a graphic unit, ie, a separate grapheme for another vowel.

In the German orthography and in the orthography of several Scandinavian and Finno- Ugric languages ​​as a modified vowel letter for a front, the German is therefore a vice denominated vowel. A diaeresis in the strict sense does not exist in the German explicitly (instead of French Zaire Zaire to write ), it is found only in some proper names on a e ( Citroën, Piëch, Noëlle, Hoëcker ) and possibly an i

Even the German spelling rules before 1996 advised against the use of Trema. The rules since the spelling reform of 1996, dealing no longer with the Trema (see The Trema in the German spelling in the 19th century). In spellings such as in the Greek foreign word asteroid the Trema could not prevail in the past; because the letters ' oi ' is sufficient to indicate the diaeresis out already because of the diphthong / ɔʏ / usually with eu or transliterated AEU is.

• In the Albanian language and in Luxembourg which stands ë for a separate vowel, schwa, and is like an open ö (Example është ), at the end of a word often not pronounced ( eg UNE ). In the Ladin language which is ë for an always stressed schwa sound.

• In the Cyrillic alphabet and some languages ​​that use it, has the diaeresis over the e also the function with audio display another as / e / and / je /. So the letter Ë / ë is pronounced as / jɔ / example in Russian.

The Trema in the data processing

Unicode

Most of the standards for character sets, including Unicode, do not distinguish between umlaut and diaeresis. If a distinction between umlaut and diaeresis is necessary in data processing, ISO / IEC JTC 1/SC recommends 2/WG 2 the following:

• Representation of Trema by: Combining grapheme joiner ( CGJ, 034F ) combining diaeresis ( 0308 )
• Representation of the umlaut by: combining diaeresis ( 0308 )

Input

German keyboard layout

Under Mac OS you the Trema y, A, E obtained by typing Alt u, then a, e, i, o, u,, I, O, U or Y.

On Linux and BSD characters with the Umlaut can be entered by the key sequence Alt Gr E, Letter, Uppercase with additional Shift ( ⇧ ). The ' ï ' is thus generated by Alt Gr E, I. In older versions, this is done by composing key " letter.

Swiss Keyboard Layout

Swiss keyboards (see keymap # Switzerland ) have their own umlaut / trema - dead key ¨. Followed by a / A, O / O or u / U generates the corresponding umlaut, followed by i / I or y / Y puts the corresponding vowel Trema.

Neo keyboard layout

The Neo keyboard layout allows the direct input of characters with diaeresis by a dead key. You create these characters with dead key mod 4 2 letter.

TeX and LaTeX can set the diaeresis over any character. There are two commands

• In text mode for the text generated kit \ "a one ä
• In math mode generates \ ddot a formula. This notation is normally referred to the second derivative of the variable with respect to time.

HTML

To ë in HTML or ï display, you can use the following named characters ( Entities): ë or ï.