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Dagger (mark)
Dagger (mark)
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† ‡ ⸸ ⹋
Dagger
In UnicodeU+2020 DAGGER (†)
U+2021 DOUBLE DAGGER (‡, ‡)
U+2E38 TURNED DAGGER
U+2E4B TRIPLE DAGGER
Different from
Different fromU+271D LATIN CROSS
U+2628 CROSS OF LORRAINE

A dagger, obelisk, or obelus is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used.[1] The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species or languages).[2] It is one of the modern descendants of the obelus, a mark used historically by scholars as a critical or highlighting indicator in manuscripts. In older texts, it is called an obelisk.[3][a]

A double dagger, or diesis, is a variant with two hilts and crossguards that usually marks a third footnote after the asterisk and dagger.[5] The triple dagger is a variant with three crossguards and is used by medievalists to indicate another level of notation.[6]

History

[edit]
Three variants of obelus glyphs

The dagger symbol originated from a variant of the obelus, originally depicted by a plain line or a line with one or two dots ÷.[7] It represented an iron roasting spit, a dart, or the sharp end of a javelin,[8] symbolizing the skewering or cutting out of dubious matter.[9][10][11]

The obelus is believed to have been invented by the Homeric scholar Zenodotus as one of a system of editorial symbols. They marked questionable or corrupt words or passages in manuscripts of the Homeric epics.[4][9] The system was further refined by his student Aristophanes of Byzantium, who first introduced the asterisk and used a symbol resembling a for an obelus; and finally by Aristophanes' student, in turn, Aristarchus, from whom they earned the name of "Aristarchian symbols".[12][13]

While the asterisk (asteriscus) was used for corrective additions, the obelus was used for corrective deletions of invalid reconstructions.[14] It was used when non-attested words are reconstructed for the sake of argument only, implying that the author did not believe such a word or word form had ever existed. Some scholars used the obelus and various other critical symbols, in conjunction with a second symbol known as the metobelos ("end of obelus"),[15] variously represented as two vertically arranged dots, a γ-like symbol, a mallet-like symbol, or a diagonal slash (with or without one or two dots). They indicated the end of a marked passage.[16]

It was used much in the same way by later scholars to mark differences between various translations or versions of the Bible and other manuscripts.[17] The early Christian Alexandrian scholar Origen (c. 184 – c. 253 AD) used it to indicate differences between different versions of the Old Testament in his Hexapla.[12][15][18] Epiphanius of Salamis (c. 310–320 – 403) used both a horizontal slash or hook (with or without dots) and an upright and slightly slanting dagger to represent an obelus. St. Jerome (c. 347–420) used a simple horizontal slash for an obelus, but only for passages in the Old Testament.[19] He describes the use of the asterisk and the dagger as: "an asterisk makes a light shine, the obelisk cuts and pierces".[11]

Isidore of Seville (c. 560–636) described the use of the symbol as follows: "The obelus is appended to words or phrases uselessly repeated, or else where the passage involves a false reading, so that, like the arrow, it lays low the superfluous and makes the errors disappear ... The obelus accompanied by points is used when we do not know whether a passage should be suppressed or not."[10]

Medieval scribes used the symbols extensively for critical markings of manuscripts. In addition to this, the dagger was also used in notations in early Christianity, to indicate a minor intermediate pause in the chanting of Psalms, equivalent to the quaver rest notation or the trope symbol in Hebrew cantillation. It also indicates a breath mark when reciting, along with the asterisk, and is thus frequently seen beside a comma.[20][21]

In the 16th century, the printer and scholar Robert Estienne (also known as Stephanus in Latin and Stephens in English) used it to mark differences in the words or passages between different printed versions of the Greek New Testament (Textus Receptus).[22]

Due to the variations as to the different uses of the different forms of the obelus, there is some controversy as to which symbols can actually be considered an obelus. The symbol and its variant, the ÷, is sometimes considered to be different from other obeli. The term 'obelus' may have referred strictly only to the horizontal slash and the dagger symbols.[citation needed]

Modern usage

[edit]

The dagger usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used.[1] A third footnote employs the double dagger.[5] Additional footnotes are somewhat inconsistent and represented by a variety of symbols, e.g., parallels ( ), section sign §, and the pilcrow .[23] Superscript numerals have increasingly been used in modern literature in the place of these symbols because it results in a transparent and consistent order to the notes.[24] Some texts use asterisks and daggers alongside superscripts, using the former for per-page footnotes and the latter for endnotes.[25]

The dagger is also used to indicate death,[5][26] extinction,[27] or obsolescence.[1][28] The asterisk and the dagger, when placed beside years, indicate year of birth and year of death respectively.[5] This usage is particularly common in German.[29] When placed immediately before or after a person's name, the dagger indicates that the person is deceased.[5][30][31][32] In this usage, it is referred to as the "death dagger".[33] Death-related usages include:

  • In biology, the dagger next to a taxon name indicates that the taxon is extinct.[26][27][34]
  • In chemistry, the double dagger is used in chemical kinetics to indicate a short-lived transition state species.[35]
  • In genealogy, the dagger is used traditionally to mark a death in genealogical records.[36]
  • In chess notation, the dagger may be suffixed to a move to signify the move resulted in a check, and a double dagger denotes checkmate. This is a stylistic variation on the more common + (plus sign) for a check and # (number sign) for checkmate.[37]
  • In philology, the dagger indicates an obsolete form of a word or phrase.[1] As language that has become obsolete in everyday use tends to live on elsewhere, the dagger can indicate language only occurring in poetical texts[38] or "restricted to an archaic, literary style".[39]
  • In the Oxford English Dictionary, the dagger symbol indicates an obsolete word.[28]

Non-death usages include:

  • The asteroid 37 Fides, the last asteroid to be assigned an astronomical symbol before the practice faded, was assigned the dagger.[40]
  • In Anglican chant pointing, the dagger indicates a verse to be sung to the second part of the chant.[41]
  • In library cataloging, a double dagger delimits MARC subfields.[42]
  • On a cricket scorecard or team list, the dagger indicates the team's wicket-keeper.[43]
  • In mathematics and, more often, physics, a dagger denotes the Hermitian adjoint of an operator; for example, A denotes the adjoint of A. This notation is sometimes replaced with an asterisk, especially in mathematics. An operator is said to be Hermitian if A = A.[44]
  • In textual criticism and in some editions of works written before the invention of printing, daggers enclose text that is believed not to be original.[12]
Dagger and double-dagger symbols in a variety of fonts, showing the differences between stylized and non-stylized characters. Fonts from left to right: DejaVu Sans, Times New Roman, LTC Remington Typewriter, Garamond, and Old English Text MT

Unicode

[edit]
  • U+2020 DAGGER
  • U+2021 DOUBLE DAGGER
  • U+2E36 DAGGER WITH LEFT GUARD – used in Alexander John Ellis's "palaeotype" transliteration to indicate retracted pronunciation[45]
  • U+2E37 DAGGER WITH RIGHT GUARD – used in Alexander John Ellis's "palaeotype" transliteration to indicate advanced pronunciation[45]
  • U+2E38 TURNED DAGGER – used in Alexander John Ellis's "palaeotype" transliteration to indicate retroflex pronunciation[45]
  • U+2E4B TRIPLE DAGGER – A variant with three handles.[6]
    A variant with three handles

Visually similar symbols

[edit]

The dagger should not be confused with the symbols U+271D LATIN CROSS, U+253C BOX DRAWINGS LIGHT VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL, or other cross symbols.

The double dagger should not be confused with the U+2628 CROSS OF LORRAINE, or U+2626 ORTHODOX CROSS, or U+01C2 ǂ LATIN LETTER ALVEOLAR CLICK in IPA, or U+167E CANADIAN SYLLABICS WOODS-CREE FINAL TH.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The (†), also known as the or , is a typographical primarily used in and writing to indicate a footnote or , especially as the second marker after an (*). Its Unicode code point is U+2020, and it is often paired with the double dagger (‡, U+2021) for subsequent references in the same document. The has additional applications, such as denoting when placed before or after a person's name (e.g., †John Doe) or indicating in biological or linguistic contexts (e.g., for or languages). Originating from the ancient obelus used by scholars like in the 2nd century BCE to mark dubious passages in texts, the evolved during the into its role in footnotes and annotations in European printing. In modern usage, the remains a conventional element in , legal documents, and for endnotes or citations, though numbering often supplants it in digital formats. It also appears in to signify deceased individuals and in to mark extinct taxa, underscoring its enduring role as a concise indicator of supplementary or terminal information. While less common today due to hyperlinks and footnotes in , the 's elegant simplicity continues to influence design in fonts and style guides, ensuring its place in typographic heritage.

Origins and History

Ancient Origins as Obelisk

The , the ancient precursor to the modern dagger symbol †, was invented in the 2nd century BC by as a critical mark in his editions of . As head librarian at , Aristarchus employed the obeliskos to flag verses suspected of being spurious or interpolated, placing it in the left margin to denote textual doubt without removing the lines from the main body. This innovation formed part of a broader system of editorial symbols, including the for notable passages and the diple for explanatory notes, aimed at refining the transmitted text of through rigorous philological analysis. The term obeliskos derives from the Greek word for "little spit" or "skewer," alluding to the mark's pointed, piercing connotation as a tool for "skewering" dubious content in manuscripts. First attested in Alexandrian philology around the mid-2nd century BC, it symbolized the scholarly act of probing and rejecting corruptions, much like impaling meat on a roasting spit. Aristarchus's application of the obeliskos emphasized conceptual fidelity to Homer's original composition, prioritizing internal consistency over variant traditions from oral recitations. Early instances of the obeliskos survive in papyri fragments and marginalia from Hellenistic manuscripts, such as those annotating the Iliad and Odyssey, where it appears alongside scholia detailing Aristarchus's rationale for athetization. These examples, often from 2nd-1st century BC Egyptian papyri, demonstrate its role in collaborative scholarly work at the Library of Alexandria, extending to editions of lyric poets like Hesiod and Pindar. Representative cases include obeloi marking interpolated similes in Iliad Book 2, highlighting Aristarchus's method of cross-referencing verses for poetic coherence. Initially rendered as a simple horizontal line (—) or dotted variant, the obeliskos evolved from rudimentary marginal dots used in pre-Alexandrian criticism and was typically depicted as a horizontal line in ancient manuscripts. Such classical techniques for textual emendation persisted into the medieval period, where the obeliskos was adapted in Byzantine and Latin scholarship for similar critical purposes.

Development in Printing and Scholarship

The dagger symbol (†), derived from the ancient used to denote textual issues, saw a revival in Byzantine and medieval European scholarship as a tool for critical annotation in manuscripts. In the early , employed variants of the obelus family, such as the horizontal line form, to mark uselessly repeated words or phrases in Latin texts during , as detailed in his encyclopedic work Etymologies (c. 636 CE). This practice built on earlier Hellenistic traditions briefly revived in Byzantine commentaries, where scholars applied such marks to highlight variants or spurious additions in classical and scriptural works. With the advent of , the was adopted in early printed books to facilitate references and variants, appearing alongside asterisks in incunabula such as Johannes Gutenberg's 42-line Bible (1455), where it helped denote cross-references to parallel passages in the text. Printers emulated manuscript conventions to aid readers, using the symbol in marginal annotations to signal textual notes without disrupting the main body. This integration marked a transition from handwritten critical signs to reproducible typographical elements, enhancing accessibility in the post-Gutenberg era. Standardization accelerated in 16th-century editorial practices, particularly through the work of printers like , who incorporated the in polyglot Bibles and classical editions to indicate differences between Greek, Latin, and versions. In his 1551 edition of the Greek (Editio Regia), Estienne systematically used the to flag lexical variants or omissions across manuscript traditions, establishing it as a precise tool for philological comparison. This approach influenced subsequent scholarly printing, such as in the Polyglot (1569–1573), where the symbol denoted interpretive notes in multilingual layouts. During the , the shifted from isolated critical marking to part of hierarchical reference systems in incunabula and later , forming a sequence with the (*) for primary notes and the double dagger (‡) for secondary ones. This evolution, evident in works by and others, allowed for layered annotations in dense scholarly texts, prioritizing clarity in editions of , , and the . Such systems underscored the symbol's role in advancing textual scholarship amid the era's humanist revival of ancient sources.

Typographical and Symbolic Uses

Footnotes and Editorial Marking

The dagger symbol (†) functions primarily as a typographical in modern texts, serving as the second-level footnote indicator after the (*), with the double dagger (‡) reserved for the third level. This hierarchical sequence avoids overlap with primary numerical footnotes and is a longstanding convention in practices, originating in 16th-century European typography. In , legal documents, and bibliographies, the is applied to cite supplementary sources or denote addenda, such as clarifications or errata, within footnote systems. For instance, the (17th edition, 2017) outlines its use in section 14.25 for sequencing note symbols when footnotes are infrequent, recommending the progression , , and double dagger to maintain clarity in texts with limited annotations; an example provided is superscript placement after in the main text, corresponding to the symbol at the page bottom. This application ensures efficient referencing without disrupting numerical citation flows common in scholarly and legal contexts. Historically, in editorial marking, the (as ) indicated deletions or spurious passages in ancient and medieval manuscripts, offering a distinct visual cue for separate from other marks.

Symbolic and Cultural Applications

The dagger symbol (†) is widely employed in obituaries, biographies, and genealogical records to denote , typically placed adjacent to a person's name or the year of decease, as in "John Doe (1900–1980†)". This usage underscores the finality of life and has become a standard typographical convention in printed and digital publications. In Christian , the mark evokes martyrdom, particularly since the medieval period, due to its shape resembling a and its association with saints who suffered stabbing as execution. For instance, is occasionally depicted with a dagger to symbolize her throat being pierced by Roman authorities, while is linked to the weapon of his assassination. This symbolism extends to broader representations of sacrificial death in and texts. Beyond contexts, the appears in esoteric traditions, where physical daggers inspired by the represent , the soul's severance from the material, or ritual authority; 19th-century grimoires like those influenced by Eliphas Lévi describe such tools for invoking spiritual forces. In , the signifies military valor, , and honor in , often charged on coats of arms to commemorate martial deeds. In Freemasonry's advanced degrees, it embodies vengeance against wrongdoing, reflecting themes of moral retribution. In , the dagger mark reinforces notions of mortality, appearing in literary footnotes for deceased figures or as icons denoting in scientific texts. While the symbol itself is textual, its dagger-like form influences depictions in literature, such as J.R.R. Tolkien's elven blades symbolizing peril and heroism, and in video games where dagger weapons evoke critical strikes or lethal precision. In , the dagger denotes obsolete words, as in the .

Digital Encoding and Representation

Unicode and Character Standards

The dagger symbol is formally encoded in the Standard as U+2020 † DAGGER, introduced in version 1.1 in June 1993, and the double dagger as U+2021 ‡ DOUBLE DAGGER, also from the same version; both are assigned to the General Punctuation block (U+2000–U+206F). These code points align with ISO/IEC 10646, the for that harmonizes with , ensuring the symbols' inclusion in the Basic Multilingual Plane for universal digital representation. Earlier character encoding standards, such as the ISO/IEC 8859 series (including ISO/IEC 8859-1, also known as Latin-1), did not directly include the dagger in their defined ranges, as positions 0x80–0x9F were reserved for control characters; however, the Microsoft Windows-1252 code page, a superset of ISO 8859-1, mapped the dagger to code point 0x86 (decimal 134) and the double dagger to 0x87 (decimal 135), facilitating typographical use in Western European contexts. This extension addressed gaps in 7-bit ASCII (ISO 646), which lacked any punctuation beyond basic marks, limiting the dagger's availability in early computing environments. The evolution of the dagger's encoding progressed from these 8-bit limitations to comprehensive support in , 's variable-width encoding scheme, where U+2020 is represented as the byte sequence E2 80 A0 and U+2021 as E2 80 A1, enabling seamless integration in modern text processing while maintaining compatibility with 's core principles. Legacy systems relying on ISO 8859-1 or similar standards often encounter issues, such as (garbled text) when interpreting data, due to the undefined control codes in the 0x80–0x9F range, which underscores the transition to for robust, interoperable handling. Standards bodies, including the and ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2, assigned these code points with a focus on typographical fidelity, classifying the dagger as "Other Punctuation" (category Po) with properties such as Other Neutrals (Bidi class ON) for neutral bidirectional orientation and no decomposition or combining forms ( Type: None), ensuring it functions as a standalone without script-specific variations or ligatures. This design preserves the symbol's historical role in and while supporting its use in diverse digital contexts without introducing encoding ambiguities.

Rendering in Typography and Computing

In , the rendering of the dagger symbol (†) varies significantly between and fonts, reflecting differences in design philosophy. fonts, such as , typically depict the as a straight vertical stem with a horizontal crossbar positioned near the top, often incorporating subtle serifs on the endpoints for a more traditional, ornate appearance that aligns with the font's overall aesthetic. In contrast, fonts like render the with clean, geometric lines devoid of serifs, resulting in a simpler, more modern look; some implementations feature a slightly angled crossbar to enhance visual distinction without decorative flourishes. These variations ensure the symbol integrates harmoniously with the surrounding text while maintaining legibility across font families. Cross-platform rendering introduces challenges, particularly with spacing and alignment. In and CSS, the † often exhibits inconsistent spacing due to browser-specific handling of inline elements, line-height, and default margins, which can cause the symbol to shift relative to adjacent text in environments like Chrome versus . Similarly, in word processors such as , kerning—automatic adjustment of space between characters—can misalign the , especially in justified text where word spacing is compressed or expanded, leading to optical imbalances that require manual font advanced settings to correct. These issues stem from the symbol's status as a non-alphabetic , which lacks standardized pairs in many font metrics. Accessibility considerations are crucial for the dagger's digital rendering. Screen readers process the symbol variably: JAWS announces it as "single dagger" in isolation or context, aiding comprehension for footnote references, whereas NVDA and VoiceOver typically remain silent, potentially omitting its role unless aria-labels are added. For users with low vision, WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.4.11 (Non-text Contrast) mandates a minimum 3:1 between the symbol and adjacent colors, ensuring graphical elements like the dagger remain perceptible without relying on color alone; high-contrast modes in operating systems often amplify this by bolding or outlining the . Historically, computing environments posed unique challenges for rendering. Early and systems supported the symbol through the \dag command, which drew from the font's metrics to produce a consistent output in DVI format, though limited to basic encodings. The shift to native integration began in the early with pdfTeX, enabling direct embedding of the U+2020 in PDF outputs and resolving font substitution issues across platforms. This evolution improved reliability, as modern distributions now default to Unicode-aware rendering for broader compatibility.

Double Dagger

The double dagger (‡, U+2021) is a typographical formed by two conjoined single daggers (†), sharing a common and featuring parallel crossguards, designed to visually extend the motif for hierarchical referencing. Introduced in 16th-century European printing, it functions as the third marker in the standard sequence for footnotes—after the (*) and single (†)—enabling printers to handle multiple annotations on a page without numerical superscripts, which were less prevalent in early . In contemporary usage, the double dagger primarily denotes third-level endnotes or references to appendices, especially in legal documents where symbolic markers provide clear, non-intrusive citations alongside numerical systems. Unlike the single dagger, which typically marks second-level footnotes or indicates deceased persons in bibliographies, the double dagger is reserved for subsequent layers in dense referencing schemes. Historically, the double dagger appeared in 16th-century scholarly works with intricate annotation needs, facilitating complex cross-referencing. Today, the double dagger is less frequently employed than the single dagger, often supplanted by superscript numbers for clarity in digital formats, though it persists in traditional publishing conventions as outlined in style guides from .

Visually Similar Glyphs

The plus sign (+) shares a basic cross-like structure with the dagger but functions primarily as the mathematical operator for addition. Emerging in the late 15th century as a shorthand for the Latin word et ("and"), it is generally rendered upright with equal-length arms, contrasting the dagger's typical slant and unequal proportions. This distinction helps prevent confusion in standard typography, though in low-resolution digital displays, the two glyphs can appear similar due to limited pixel rendering. The obelus (÷), employed in arithmetic to denote division, visually approximates the dagger through its central horizontal line but is differentiated by the inclusion of dots positioned above and below the line. While the obelus has ancient roots as a critical mark in textual editing, its adoption as a division symbol dates to 1659, when Swiss mathematician Johann Rahn introduced it in his work Teutsche Algebra. Unlike the dagger's role in referencing, the obelus remains confined to mathematical contexts. The Cross of Jerusalem (☩, U+2629), an ornate form of the cross, resembles the dagger in its vertical orientation and cross motif. This variant appears in religious texts associated with Christian , often indicating commemoration. In certain scripts, the dagger can evoke ligature-like confusions with non-Latin diacritics, though without overlapping functions. For instance, the Arabic dagger alif (ٰ, U+0670), a superscript vertical stroke denoting a long /aː/ vowel where alif is omitted, mirrors the dagger's upright line but functions solely as a phonetic modifier, as in اللٰه (""). Similarly, the Hebrew geresh (׳, U+05F3), a curved apostrophe-like mark used for or (e.g., indicating foreign sounds in ), bears a faint resemblance in its vertical tilt but primarily acts as a for adjustments, as seen in terms like sh for /ʃ/. These parallels are superficial and context-bound, arising mainly in multilingual typesetting.

References

  1. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dagger-and-double-dagger-in-times-new-roman.svg
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