gbranden pushed a commit to branch master
in repository groff.
commit b5a7b0a29eedba00daabab642cb0ca3b963e091c
Author: G. Branden Robinson <[email protected]>
AuthorDate: Sun Nov 23 13:29:00 2025 -0600
groff_mm(7): Clarify discussion of footnotes.
* Rename metasyntactic variable "label" to "mark".
* Use consistent terminology: (footnote) "marker" -> "mark".
* Explicitly state where footnotes appear.
* Favor active voice over passive.
---
contrib/mm/groff_mm.7.man | 40 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------------
1 file changed, 26 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)
diff --git a/contrib/mm/groff_mm.7.man b/contrib/mm/groff_mm.7.man
index f21a5e4c3..2d1a90721 100644
--- a/contrib/mm/groff_mm.7.man
+++ b/contrib/mm/groff_mm.7.man
@@ -1745,15 +1745,18 @@ captions this list.
.
.TP
.BR FS \~[\c
-.IR label ]
+.IR mark ]
Start footnote.
.
-Input until
+.I mm
+collects input into a footnote until
.B FE
-is called is collected into a footnote.
+is called,
+outputting it when the vertical drawing position nears the page bottom.
.
By default,
-footnotes are automatically numbered starting at 1;
+.I mm
+automatically numbers footnotes starting at 1;
the number is available in register
.B Ftnum
and,
@@ -1761,8 +1764,13 @@ with a trailing period,
in
.RB string\~ F .
.
-This string precedes the footnote text at the bottom of the column or
-page.
+If desired,
+interpolate this string in the body text to format the footnote mark.
+.
+.I mm
+interpolates
+.RB string\~ F
+prior to the footnote text.
.
Footnotes are vertically separated by the product of
.RB registers\~ Fs
@@ -1776,13 +1784,17 @@ footnotes may be used in displays.
.
.IP
A
-.I label
-argument replaces the contents of the string
-.BR F ;
-it need not be numeric.
+.I mark
+argument,
+which need not be numeric,
+replaces the default footnote mark,
+leaving the
+.RB string\~ F
+unchanged.
.
-In this event,
-the footnote marker in the body text must be explicitly written.
+In that event,
+you must explicitly write any footnote mark to appear
+in the footnote itself.
.
.
.TP
@@ -4302,7 +4314,7 @@ interpolates an em dash,
.
.TP
.B F
-interpolates an automatically numbered footnote marker;
+interpolates an automatically numbered footnote mark;
the number is used by the next
.B FS
call without an argument.
@@ -4310,7 +4322,7 @@ call without an argument.
In
.I troff
mode,
-the marker is superscripted;
+the mark is superscripted;
in
.I nroff
mode,
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