ß
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Translingual
Alternative forms
Etymology
Abbreviation of LatinCategory:Translingual terms derived from Latin#SS sēmis (“half”)
Symbol
ßCategory:Translingual lemmas#SSCategory:Translingual symbols#SSCategory:Translingual entries with incorrect language header#SSCategory:Pages with entries#SSCategory:Pages with 6 entries#SS
- (pharmacyCategory:mul:Pharmacy#SS) Apothecary symbol for half.
- 1583, Philip Barrough [i.e., Philip Barrow], “Of Making Bolus”, in The Methode of Phisicke, Conteyning the Causes, Signes, and Cures of Inward Diseases in Mans Body from the Head to the Foote. […] (in English), London: […] Thomas Vautroullier […], →OCLC, book VI, page 288:
- BOlvs in Engliſh is called a morſell. It is a medicine laxatiue, in forme & faſhion it is meanely whole, & it is ſwallowed by litle gobbets. […] ℞. medulla caſiæ fiſtulæ newly drawen. ℥. j. or ʒCategory:Translingual links with manual fragments#SS. x. the graines (that is the kernelles) of barbaries. ℈. ß. and with ſugar roſet [sugar compounded with rose petals] make a bole.Category:Translingual terms with quotations#SS
English
Symbol
ßCategory:English lemmas#SSCategory:English symbols#SSCategory:English words spelled without vowels#SSCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#SSCategory:Pages with entries#SSCategory:Pages with 6 entries#SS
- Occasionally used in loanwords from German.
- (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#SS, rareCategory:English terms with rare senses#SS) A ligature representing <ss> in italic text.
- 1557, Robert Recorde, The Whetstone of Witte […], London: […] Jhon Kyngſtone, unnumbered page:
- As in nombers Abſtracte, euery nomber is not a rooted nomber, but ſome certaine only emongeſt theim, ſo in nombers Coßike, all nombers haue not rootes: but ſoche onely emongeſt ſimple Coßike nombers are rooted, whoſe nomber hath a roote, agreable to the figure of his denomination.Category:English terms with quotations#SS
- 1664, John Newburgh, “[Pomona, or An Appendix Concerning Fruit-trees, in Relation to Cider, […].] Observations Concerning the Making and Preserving of Cider.”, in J[ohn] E[velyn], Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC, page 43:
- I am alſo aſſured by a Neighbour of mine, that a Brother of his, who is a great Cider Merchant in Devonſhire, is by frequent experience ſo well ſatisfied with the harmleſneſs of rotten Apples, that he makes no ſcruple of exchanging with any one that comes to his Cider-preß, a Buſhel of ſound-apples for the ſame meaſure of the other.Category:English terms with quotations#SS
- 1665, R[obert] Hooke, “To the Royal Society”, in Micrographia: Or Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses. […], London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC:
- After my Addreß to our Great Founder and Patron, I could not but think my ſelf oblig'd, in conſideration of thoſe many Ingagements you have laid upon me, to offer theſe my poor Labours to this MOST ILLUSTRIOUS ASSEMBLY.Category:English terms with quotations#SS
- 1665, Joseph Glanvill, chapter XXVII, in Scepsis Scientifica: Or, Confest Ignorance, the Way to Science; […], London: […] E. C[otes] for Henry Eversden […], →OCLC, page 168:
- And vvhat happineſs is there in a ſtorm of paſſions? On this account the Scepticks affected an indifferent æquipondious neutrality as the only means to their Ataraxia, and freedom from paßionate diſturbances.Category:English terms with quotations#SS
- [1699], B. E., “Paß”, in A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew, […], London: […] W. Hawes […], P. Gilbourne […], and W. Davis […], →OCLC, column 2; reprinted [London]: [Smith, Kay & Co.], 1899, →OCLC, signature I2, verso:
- Paß, a VVay, Lane, River, Leave; alſo condition. VVhat a Sad Paß things are come to? In vvhat an ill State they are. That Shamm vvon't Paß, that Trick vvwon't take.Category:English terms with quotations#SS
See also
Further reading
- “During what period of history did English use "ß", the "sharp s" ligature?”, in Stack Exchange, 2 January 2013, archived from the original on 7 May 2021
Central Franconian
Etymology
- /s/ is from West Germanic post-vocalic *t and *ss.
Pronunciation
- /s/
Letter
ß (lower case, upper case SS)Category:Central Franconian lemmas#SSCategory:Central Franconian letters#SSCategory:Central Franconian nouns#SSCategory:Latin script characters#SSCategory:Central Franconian entries with incorrect language header#SSCategory:Pages with entries#SSCategory:Pages with 6 entries#SS
- A letter of the Central Franconian alphabet (German-based), written in the Latin script.
Usage notes
- Doubling of ß yields ss, see S.
- In the Dutch-based spelling, /s/ is always represented by s.
German
Alternative forms
- ss (Switzerland, Liechtenstein)
- ſs, sz, ſz (obsolete, rare)
Pronunciation
- (phoneme): IPA(key): /s/Category:German terms with IPA pronunciation#SS
- (letter name): IPA(key): /ɛsˈtsɛt/Category:German 2-syllable words#SSCategory:German terms with IPA pronunciation#SS (Eszett, usual)
- (letter name): IPA(key): /ˈʃarfəs ˈɛs/Category:German terms with IPA pronunciation#SS (scharfes S, less desirable because it also refers to the sound /s/ regardless of its spelling)
Letter
ß n (lower case, no upper case, all caps ẞ or (especially formerly) SS or (formerly in a few words) SZ)Category:German lemmas#SSCategory:German letters#SSCategory:German nouns#SSCategory:Latin script characters#SSCategory:German entries with incorrect language header#SSCategory:Pages with entries#SSCategory:Pages with 6 entries#SS
- A letter of the German alphabet, called Eszett or scharfes S and written in the Latin script; a German letter based on a ligature of ſ (long s) and z.
Usage notes
In alphabetic ordering, ß is equivalent to the string ss. For example, one would order: Maske, Maß, Masse, Maße, Massen, Maßen, Mast. The letter also alternates with ss in inflections and derivatives, e.g. lassen → past tense ließ.
The current rules for the choice between ß and ss were introduced in 1996. They follow the simple principle that ss is used after short vowels and ß otherwise (i.e. after long vowels and diphthongs). Hence Masse /ˈmasə/ is distinguished from Maße /ˈmaːsə/. The earlier rules were more complicated and less phonetic. They prescribed that ß was additionally used in the syllable coda regardless of vowel length. Thus küssen, but er küßt, and Faß, but Fässer (modern spelling küsst, Fass). The older spelling has become rare, but is still used by some older language users.
In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the letter ß is not used at all. So Straße is spelt Strasse, and the above distinction between Maße and Masse is lost in favour of the latter. This use is also often seen in Luxembourg and occasionally in South Tyrol, but ß is standard in both of these areas. Moreover one encounters the same spelling in German books printed in antiqua script until the early 20th century, because an antiqua ß did not yet exist. A rarer alternative was to replace ß with sz.
It is standard to replace ß with SS in all caps: STRASSE. However, in 2017 a new uppercase ẞ was introduced, so it is now also correct to spell STRAẞE. The use of a lowercase ß (STRAßE) is sometimes seen, but is proscribed. In capitalizing a few words which would become ambiguous if ß were changed to SS, SZ may be used instead, hence MASZE (Maße) may be kept distinct from MASSE (Masse), BUSZE (Buße) from BUSSE (Busse). As of 2024, the primary spelling for all caps is with ẞ and alternatively with SS.
Synonyms
Further reading
ß on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de- ß on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Lower Sorbian
Letter
ß (lower case, upper case SS)Category:Lower Sorbian lemmas#SCategory:Lower Sorbian letters#SCategory:Lower Sorbian nouns#SCategory:Latin script characters#SCategory:Lower Sorbian entries with incorrect language header#SCategory:Pages with entries#SSCategory:Pages with 6 entries#SS
- (obsoleteCategory:Lower Sorbian obsolete terms#S) A letter formerly used to represent the sound /s/, now replaced by s.
See also
Swedish
Symbol
ßCategory:Swedish lemmas#SSCategory:Swedish symbols#SSCategory:Swedish entries with incorrect language header#SSCategory:Pages with entries#SSCategory:Pages with 6 entries#SS
- (obsoleteCategory:Swedish terms with obsolete senses#SS, rareCategory:Swedish terms with rare senses#SS) A ligature representing <ss>.
- 1740, Carl Gyllenborg, Svenska Sprätthöken, page 1:
- Går allena på Theatern up och ner, sprätter med benen, ajusterar och ser sig på alla kanter, hwißlar och siunger om hwarandra.Category:Swedish terms with quotations#SS
- Walking alone at the theater, moving up and down, kicking with the legs, adjusting and looking in all directions, whistling and singing alternately.
- 1831, Fredrik Cederborgh, Berättelse om Den, först rike och ansedde, sedermera fattige och föraktade John Hall, page 5:
- För att kunna åtkomma dylikt, wäl rätt artigt men föga räntegifwande kram, beslöt han, att, med en särdeles wäl försedd kaßa, resa till Danmarks hufwudstad, ungefär trettio mil aflägsen från deß födelseort Götheborg.Category:Swedish terms with quotations#SS
- In order to be able to access such, indeed quite proper trinkets but not paying much interest, he decided, with a particularly well-stocked coffer, to travel to Denmark's capital city, about thirty miles distant from his birthplace, Gothenburg.
- 1899 January 7, “Wälgörenhet [Charitable deeds]”, in Oscarshamnsposten, page 4:
- Kriſtliga ynglingaföreningen i Mönſterås har till gångna julhelgen utdelat, förutom åtſkilliga goda ſkodon och fotbeklädnadsperſedlar åt behöfwande barn, deßutom äfwen kontanta penningebelopp till ſamtlige de meſt ålderſtigne och behöfwande qwinnor inom ſåwäl köpingen som en del af ſocknen.Category:Swedish terms with quotations#SS
- The Christian Youth Association in Mönsterås hath, during the past Yule season, bestowed not only sundry good shoes and footwear to needy children, but also provided monetary sums to all the most elderly and destitute women within both the town and a portion of the parish.