[NTG-context] Use of em dash and en dash

2011-03-21 Thread Cecil Westerhof
Until now I always used a - (minus sign) to define a sub sentence or for an
optional word, like:
This is -now- not necessary,

I understood that normally you use the em dash for this. But for only a
word, this seems a little big. Could I then use an en dash or should I keep
using a minus sign?

In which other places should they be used?

-- 
Cecil Westerhof
___
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the 
Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
webpage  : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net
archive  : http://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/
wiki : http://contextgarden.net
___


Re: [NTG-context] Use of em dash and en dash

2011-03-21 Thread Ulrike Fischer
Am Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:51:44 +0100 schrieb Cecil Westerhof:

 Until now I always used a - (minus sign) to define a sub sentence or for an
 optional word, like:
 This is -now- not necessary,
 
 I understood that normally you use the em dash for this. But for only a
 word, this seems a little big. Could I then use an en dash or should I keep
 using a minus sign?

It depends. In germany I would use an en dash and put spaces around
it: dies ist -- noch -- nicht notwendig. 

Older english books often use --- without spaces: is---now. But
spaces and endash with spaces are used too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dash#En_dash_versus_em_dash

So check the typography rules of your country/language. 


-- 
Ulrike Fischer 

___
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the 
Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
webpage  : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net
archive  : http://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/
wiki : http://contextgarden.net
___


Re: [NTG-context] Use of em dash and en dash

2011-03-21 Thread Cecil Westerhof
2011/3/21 Ulrike Fischer ne...@nililand.de

 Am Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:51:44 +0100 schrieb Cecil Westerhof:

  Until now I always used a - (minus sign) to define a sub sentence or for
 an
  optional word, like:
  This is -now- not necessary,
 
  I understood that normally you use the em dash for this. But for only a
  word, this seems a little big. Could I then use an en dash or should I
 keep
  using a minus sign?

 It depends. In germany I would use an en dash and put spaces around
 it: dies ist -- noch -- nicht notwendig.

 Older english books often use --- without spaces: is---now. But
 spaces and endash with spaces are used too:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dash#En_dash_versus_em_dash

 So check the typography rules of your country/language.


I found a few things on
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gedachtestreepje
en related pages.

It would be customary to use the endash, but emdash can be used also. I
think I am going for the endash. So I change it again. It also says that
spaces should be used, but I never saw that. At the moment I will not use
it. (It is clear where the sub sentence starts and ends.) But I'll do some
more research on it.

-- 
Cecil Westerhof
___
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the 
Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
webpage  : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net
archive  : http://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/
wiki : http://contextgarden.net
___