Long s

The long s "s" is a graphical variant of the letter " s" or, linguistically, a position -related allographic variant of grapheme " s". It is ( roman typefaces ) normally no longer used in today's conventional "round" magazines.

In blackletter the use of the "s " instead of the round s after historically grown rules is still common. This is the "s" written in German for the s- grapheme in initial or medial position of a syllable, whereas in final position of a syllable -final or the round s -s is needed. Earlier came the long s in all Romance ago as well as the German, English, Dutch, West Slavic and Scandinavian forms of writing.

The "s" forms the first part of the two ligatures " sʒ " ( "sz ") and " ss", which are accepted as the origin of the German letter " ß".

5.1 encoding
5.2 keyboard
5.3 replacement
5.4 Brief

Emergence of the minuscule s

With the Halbunzial font (5th century - 8th century ) a font in which opposite the Roman Capitalis fonts trained individual letters upper and lower lengths first arose. It conveys, without themselves being already issued a minuscule script, the final transition from the two-line for vierlinigen writing system. This independent font blended elements of both the capital as the uncial and the later Roman cursive to something new, it represents the beginning of the development of ancient, roman capital letters ( upper case ) font to lowercase ( minuscule ) typeface indicates the letter s is now used both in the two-line Majuskelform as well as in the dreilinigen Minuskelform of the long s.

The Carolingian minuscule script (9th century - 12th century) is modeled on the side of the Halbunzialen and converts among insular, Italic and Visigothic influence to the characterizing them form. Due to the cultural and political efforts to standardization in the Frankish Empire it occupies a seminal position for the overall flow of Western writing development. It is the font from which indirectly Antiqua and the broken scripts have developed ( including the German cursive ).

Specifically, the letters of this document are the four- line system fully adapted. The character of the minuscule script is so prevalent. The ideal of the Carolingian Minuscule is an alphabet without double forms. In some writing schools comes the "s" only as long s with ascender before.

The round "s" to the end of a word, however, comes early as the 9th century in some schools write back to it. It spreads in the following years further out, first like superscript, while his appearance in the middle of a word refers to the 12th century.

Disappearance of the long s in Antiqua set

The differentiation between long and round s lost since the 18th century in Antiqua set international importance. The long s was almost abruptly uncommon in French texts with the revolution. The Paris astronomical yearbook Connaissance des temps used, for example, "s" until the year of 1792, but after 1793 's' at the same time changed the yearly counting on the revolutionary calendar and the dedication of the book series.

In 1800 German-language text was also set in larger quantities in Antiqua (see Antiqua - Fraktur dispute ) for the first time. Initially, long s mixed uses. In the second half of the 19th century, a certain consensus emerged. It was basically used in Antiqua set no long s. The only exception was that was written in Roman ss, where sz in the German fracture rate ( sharp s, ß) was written. Thus, "water" written in the fracture set with two long s, round in Antiqua Set of two. In contrast, "River " was written in what was then fracture rate with ß, but in Roman type set as " flow ". This is the " river " but was also permitted in Antiqua sentence. The Duden 1880 summarized the rule thus:

With the unification of German orthography from 1901 the use of a ß - sign was also prescribed in Antiqua set instead of this interim solution. Thanks to an initiative of the printing press and type foundry owner from 1903 most printers possessed from 1904 through appropriate letters.

Since then, the use of a long s was no longer the valid spelling in Antiqua sentence. The values in fracture Duden presented in 1915 clearly that " several times attempted use of a long s in the Latin alphabet for the s in the German publication is not permitted. " The notation ss instead of ß in Antiqua was approved only as a stopgap measure, if no ß was present.

The 12th edition of the Duden 1941 was the last in fracture rate, according to the normal font adopting the reprints were converted to Antiqua from 1942. As an aid to writers of broken Scripture was the final -s underlined in each case, but not in " vocabulary like keywords and additions, as foreign languages are usually set in round magazines. " ( Example: Dresden, dualism, but willy- nilly, choirmaster ) This was handled during joint 13th edition in 1947 so. The FRG expenditures do so away from the 14th edition in 1954. The 14th GDR edition of 1951, however, held in Antiqua with correctly set, long s ( and ß ). In the 15th (1957 ) and the 16th edition (1967 ) the system of underlining is applied again, which will only disappear with the 17th edition (1975).

The 1909 appeared Ehmcke - Antiqua and appeared a year later Ehmcke - italics Fritz Helmuth Ehmcke are probably the only fonts with uppercase s. They also have forms for ß -caps, ch and ck. About the detour of a metal type version with Stephenson Blake in England and one of them made Letraset version, it is available as a computer font under the name Carlton today.

Long s and round s

For long -s Synonyms: initial sound -s, -s medial position, beginning of a syllable -s, stem -s, -s Little Long, Long s

In other languages:

Synonyms for round -s: Final - s -final -s, short s, short s, round s, minuscule s, lowercase s.

In other languages

Use today

In Antiqua, the use of the long s is rare today in blackletter it is uneven.

As a result of conferences saw Orthographic spelling applicable from the beginning of the 20th century, before the separation of the application rules of the long s for Latin script and blackletter. While in the Antiqua no long s had to use more, the distinction between long and round remained s get in blackletter.

As an advantage, the distinction between long and round s in German is argued that for composite words that are almost always together written in German, the Wortfuge clearly could be identified in many cases. For the (round ) s is on the one hand, because it marks the genitive with most masculine and neutral nouns and serves as joint sound, very often the last letter of the previous word part; on the other hand is the the ( long ) s ( also in the compounds sch, sp, st ) one of the most common first letter, and thus often the first letter of the next word part. Words such as front door, Bunny or the same are thereby leicher readable, and allows the distinction of words such as guardroom (guard room ) and guardhouse (wax - Tube), screech ( circles between, for crying ) and screeching ( circle -chen, for small circle), dispatch (Ver - broadcast ) and dispatch ( verse - ending), Röschenhof ( Rös - chen- yard, from small rose ) and Röschenhof (Ro -tion - yard, from proper names Rösch ). This was used in Antiqua - Fraktur dispute as an argument to demonstrate the superiority of the broken scripts for the set German texts.

In contrast, it can be argued that this is s easy to get confused with the letter f long, especially after the long s almost disappeared from normal traffic texts and is no longer part of the school. For better distinction of s and f Gustav Michaelis said in 1876 the request from the German book printer may jointly decide to do away with the " quite unsightly and annoying hacking" at the s; it would thus account for sure countless corrections.

The rules for traditional use of long and round s today are often unknown and their distinction is with computer magazines and computer programs technically not readily realizable. As a result, broken fonts appear more and more frequently by roman set of rules and only use the round s Since some computer fonts, a s is stored instead of the round s long, and the opposite may occur and it is used throughout a long s. However, this is justified by the current Antiqua - set rules or by fracture traditional set of rules.

A number of companies, provided they use for their products names in blackletter, the long s in recent years, replaced by a round s, about Guild Kölsch, Ostfriesentee or Warsteiner. Was maintaining the long s about Jägermeister, where it was also removed during the huntsman saying the label edge in 2005.

The typographer Friedrich Forssman refers to the use of the long s with broken scripts as indispensable, but called an exception: "In black letters can also generally the round s are used, especially in foreign-language applications or confusion in labeling. " But this is a personal opinion of their colleagues disagree. However Forssman does not speak of the broken scripts in general, but only of the subset of black letters. The use of the long s in blackletter is justified by the fact that the round s for the middle of the word is far too wide and bulky and was also not designed by the font designers.

The Book Art Foundation awarded in 2012 from the set in Schwabacher book Morgue and Other Poems, which dispenses with the use of a long s. In the court's opinion states: " A marginal note for the dogmatists among the typesetters: The surrender of a long single -S blackletter is for our today's reading habits no error".

Rules on the use of long and round s

German

The official German spelling makes in its current version no longer requirements for use of the long s and mentions no special rules for certain font styles such as the blackletter. Accordingly, therefore, a general waiver of the long s is to be considered as compliant. If, however, broken fonts are now set with a distinction between long and round s, this is done mostly by the traditional rules of the 20th century (see table below ). The Duden suggests it slightly modified rules, which were chosen in accordance with the new spelling.

The round s

The round "s" can only stand in Silbenauslaut (usually only directly at the end of a syllable as a word or partial word final -s), not the beginning of a lowercase word, partial word or syllable at the beginning:

As word final -s: For example, the house, the cosmos, of the Covenant, the Pils (but: in the home, the houses, the Pilsener )
At the end of prefixes, as a joint -s and in compositions and compounds at the end of the first part of the word, even if the following word begins with a long section s: For example, Love letter, employment office, thunder - day, examination results, entrance door, Dis - position, dis - harmonic, the - same, host shop, look-out.
In discharges with Wortbildungssuffixen that begin with a consonant, like -chan, -chen, bar, etc. (not before inflectional endings of t and possibly schwa [ ə ] ): for example, growth, wisdom, domesticity alone, Mäus -chen, bis- date, evidence- bar, well -looking -tion, bos - way (but: he reads, the sixth, see below st to connect ).
As Silbenauslaut -s, must be without one [ part ] word statements (often also in proper names): For example, cost- mixed, Brus high-light, brusquely, realism, les Sorbian, Mes - ner; Oswald, Dresden, Schleswig, Os - of Osnabrück. Of these, there are exceptions: see long -s below!

The long s

The long s is whenever the short s is not used:

Always in the syllable (meaning spoken syllables ), ie at the beginning of a syllable and before the vowel in the syllable center: eg whiz, import, play, surprise, scandalous, psyche, Gstaad, Wed- santhrop ( spoken syllables: Mi- san- throp ) Just as in initial position of the suffixes - sel, sal - mon: eg puzzles, refreshment, strange. This is true even if the initial sound of a syllable spoken s- arisen ( by assimilation ) double -s is assimilated eg, assonance.
In the sound combinations sp, st and sz, (not if they by joint -s or composition created ) in the diffracted word forms before endings -t and possibly schwa [ ə ] and even if s focus is in Silbenauslaut: eg wasp, bud, fast, fascinating, oscillograph; Have, like, once, usually, best fit reads, [ new Rechtschr. ], Sixth.
In digraphs, ie combinations of letters that represent one sound (even when double consonant represented ss / ss, even if it is in Silbenauslaut s ): for example, wish, wish flash, water, bite, certificates, barrel, even when assimilated prefixes [ new Rechtschr. ]: as- similiert, As - sessor.
According to the compounds sl, sn and sr, when a schwa has failed ( even if it is in Silbenauslaut s ): For example, our Pilsner.
When " s" stands by hyphenation at the end of a syllable, it remains unchanged: eg wasp - Wes - pe, water, us - re.
In Silbenauslaut instead of s if it in the first position of the compounds ss / ss, st, and sp ( and since 1901 also in sz) is then independent of the syllable structure: eg water, barrel [ new Rechtschr. ], Branch, you're fit, [ new Rechtschr. ], best, crunch, fascination. The same is true for sch, sz (and other combinations of letters from other languages : sh, etc.), but only if they are as each one sound are spoken (ie digraphs as shown, allowing also the use of s in the ligature sz in blackletter [ for Antiqua ß] explain: feet = feet [ old Rechtschr: . ] Fasz = barrel ); and for s before l, n, r, but only if between an "e" has failed: eg bush, ash, flash; Pilsner, our, but: Eschatology; Convicts, Oslo, Osnabrück.

In all other cases almost always round s is used ( see above).

See also: German spelling in the 19th century

Dutch

The Dutch language used the long s as well as the German language for specific words, rather jelly recommend this to, for example, godsdiensten, Misverstand.

English

The English language uses the long s rather than by graphical according to semantic criteria. The following rules apply:

At the end of a word and before a round apostrophe s is needed: is.
Before and after a round f s is needed, such as offset, satisfaction.
Before a hyphen at the end of the line is always long s, eg Shafts - bury.
In the 17th century s was pre k and b to round s, eg ask, husband; In the 18th century, however, they wrote and ask husband.
Otherwise, long s used, such as song, substitute.
Ss in the interior of a word is in italic text to ss, such as Assure, Blessings, but: assure.

Italian

The round s is

Before vowels with accent, for example, sì, Passo
After a long s before an i: Illustrissimo
Before an apostrophe: s'informassero
Before b and f
End of the word.

Otherwise is long s

Spanish

The round s is in the following cases:

Before a vowel with accent: sí, sì
Before B, F and H
End of the word.

Otherwise is long s

Latin

From the Middle Latin is used regardless of word components in the middle of the word a long s, eg nobiscum, however, at the end of a word s: properas.

Finnish

In the Finnish language, the s- forms are phonetically used where the s stands at the end of a syllable, the syllable and the s - medial position: Hämeessä, tilustan, osaksi

Use in writing reforms

Various Latin alphabets, which were introduced in the 1920s in the Soviet Union in writing reforms for Caucasian languages , used the long -s for specific phonemes. ( These alphabets were replaced around 1938 by Cyrillic alphabets. ) It also Versalformen have been developed that resemble mainly a smoothed version of the Unicode character U 0295 latin letter voiced pharyngeal fricative ( ʕ ).

Mathematics

The integral sign, introduced by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, also derives from the long s for Latin summary ( summary ).

Representation in computer systems and replacement

Coding

In the international character encoding Unicode system s can be found in the Unicode block Latin Extended -A and is located at position U 017 F > Latin small letter long s < ( Latin small letter long s ). In the ASCII character set and the character sets of ISO 8859 family of standards, the sign is not included, which is why many older computer systems it could not represent.

In Internet documents HTML format, the character is coded as follows:

S (hexadecimal) and
S ( decimal).

Provider of broken fonts for PCs have a temporary solution s encoded at other places the long. Since different encodings are used, the auxiliary programs and keyboard drivers of individual providers are incompatible with each other.

Keyboard

On keyboards with the occupancy T2 accordance with the revised German standard DIN 2137:2012-06 is the long -s the key sequence group change ⇨ followed by ü entered. This arrangement is based on the international standard ISO / IEC 9995-3:2010 predetermined key position for signs of secondary group.

On the Neo keyboard layout as it can be reached via ß.

In Microsoft Windows, you can enter the s in some programs with holding down the left Alt key and typing 383 on the numeric keypad.

The correct according to Unicode representation can on X11 -based systems ( such as Linux or Unix systems with graphical user interface ) can be achieved as follows:

# Xmodmap- e "keycode 39 = s S U017F section U017F section " after that you can write with Alt Gr S the s. This actually disappears twice occupied ß. To put it instead on Alt Gr Shift S, one just replaces " U017F " with "section". Making an entry in the ~ /. Xmodmaprc the setting is invited at system startup.

Substitution

If the character can not be displayed because it is missing in the font or the character set used, it should be replaced by the normal closing -s " s".

However, since virtually all modern computer systems and fonts based on Unicode, the character can easily displayed worldwide, processed, transmitted and archived nowadays. A replacement for technical reasons is therefore hardly necessary. Even if the keyboard you are using does not have the character, it can be practically always inserted through a corresponding function of the operating system or the respective text editor.

Briefs

Font with long s is comparatively comfortable support possible with LaTeX and XeTeX with and with many programs, OpenType and AAT fonts.

Application Examples

Esopus, Schedel's World Chronicle ( 1493 )

University of Tübingen, 2004. Publication in broken letters with long and round -s.

Berlin- Neukölln. Long -s in a broken script ( Gothic font, texture)

Urban children's home in Esslingen am Neckar in acute Script ( cursive German ) with long -s the 'sch' (2006)

A long -s was also in the word "Congress" in the " Bill of Rights " ( 1788), the USA used.

U.S. Constitution of 1787: Blessings and Congress

Commemorative plaque at the Salzburg University with long s and round s

Martin Luther's 95 Theses ( Wittenberg 1522) in Antiqua with long s

Institute for Contemporary History, the long -s is still in the logo of the quarterly series in Antiqua typesetting.

Ss

" Classes " instead of " Classen ". Here ss is used for ß in this Latin cursive. Cologne in July 2005

Distinctiveness of the s (long -s) in the Latin script ( above) with the lowercase h in the German cursive ( below)! One can see the similarity of the s ( long -s) in the Latin script with the small hours as it is used in the same form in the acute cursive.

Not wrong, because here the ß of long and round s should be achieved by vehicles closer together. Better however, the use of ß would have been, but this was perhaps not exist. ( Pirna 2004)

Berlin street signs: ß ligature of s and ʒ. And tz- ligature of t and ʒ according to a paper by Herbert Thannhaeuser, 1930.

Examples of incorrect use of the round -s and the long -s

Berlin 2005 - in "st " and "sh" could "s" last longer. Here, however, incorrectly used round -s at the word beginning with "self". Sign with long -s in Antiqua sentence.

If you use long -s at the end of a syllable on a street sign in Freiberg (Saxony ) in Gothic script.

Report this round 's only for " wedding hall ". This was the case but before the words " citizens 'hall ' and ' council chambers ' used in blackletter absolutely necessary long -s ( medially -s) twice correctly. So it would have to " Traus Eel " be read. (2006)

Plaque (2005) at the birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI. in Marktl with four false - round s instead of here actually required "s".

Street signs in Mainz: Right correct " road ", left a false " street ". In Antiqua without "ß" this would be correct as a replacement case. Depending on nachzuahmendem period and rules for fracture would also " street " offer.

Font ( painted over in June 2013, now with round -s, but still with a lack of hyphen) above the front door of the souvenir shop of the Hofbräuhaus in Munich, with a bad long -s at the end of the word.

Writing on a blackboard in the Calvary Chapel in Höllerhansl Marhof, Styria. - The round s is known as a capital letter, writing in lowercase, it is not used.

Unersichtlich why " fruit " was written with round -s.

Two false s in the signature panel on the right pillar, in both cases would be the round 's right. The Rems valley is named after the river Rems.

Newspaper names with long s

Examples of newspaper heads in blackletter, the long s to apply the rules of the fracture set accordingly:

Adresseavisen Norwegian newspaper
Norwegian Aftenposten newspaper
Baslerstab
Bayerische Rundschau ( Kulmbach )
Cellesche newspaper
Dithmarsch country newspaper
Düsseldorf News (West German newspaper )
Franconian country newspaper
Goslarsche newspaper
Idsteiner newspaper ( Wiesbaden Tageblatt - Rhein Main Presse )
Hannover Allgemeine Zeitung
Cologne Rundschau
County newspaper Weser Marsch

Lippe - newspaper
Maschseebote ( handout at Hanover )
Märkische Or Zeitung ( Frankfurt / Oder)
Münsterländische newspaper ( Cloppenburg )
Neue Rheinische Zeitung
Oberhessische Press (Marburg)
Oldenburgische People's Daily
East Frisian newspaper (empty)
Ostfriesischer Courier (North)
Prussian Allgemeine Zeitung
Swabian newspaper ( Ravensburg )
Traunstein's day sheet
Westfälische Nachrichten (Münster)
Weststeirische Rundschau ( Germany, Styria )

Product name with long s

Logos in blackletter, flawed by deviations from the rules for use of the long s:

Dingslebener brewery ( with false long instead of round s at end of a syllable, as a compound word "thing - Sleben " ( in which the long -s would be correct ) find no evidence )
Fuersteneck Black Forest kirsch ( Fuersteneck with real long -s, kirsch with three false round -s, see picture right)

Logos in blackletter, where the rules for use of the long s no longer be applied:

Fürstenberg Brewery ( on round -s moved)
Gilden Kölsch ( on round -s moved)
Warsteiner brewery ( on round -s moved)

Logos in blackletter with regular conforming use of long S:

Eschweger Klosterbräu
Gilde Pilsener
Hasseroeder Brewery
Jägermeister ( herbal liqueur )
Electors Kölsch (beer)
Elector Maximilian Kölsch (beer)
Neuzeller Kloster- Bräu
Staufen Mail ( Stationery )
Wolferstetter Bräu
Ur - Krostitzer Brewery

A long s is found also in blackletter on labels:

Mariacron ( Brandy )

The Berliner Kabarett Distel used in its logo a long s

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