Using M-dash and N-dash?

Subject: Using M-dash and N-dash?
From: Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com, Abhijit Sinha <abhijits -at- newgen -dot- co -dot- in>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 09:46:15 -0500

Abhijit Sinha wondered: <<Can you please explain the differences in the use of M-dash and N-dash>>

Any good style guide will explain the usage of these symbols and provide many examples; the Chicago Manual of Style provides a good overview.

Quickly: An en dash is so-named because it's the width of the letter n (sometimes N) in the same font, whereas an em dash is the width of the m (sometimes M). Use an en for ranges (10-20), low temperatures (-20C), and in place of a hyphen in an open compound (e.g., Microsoft Word[en]induced frustration). Use an em for parenthetical interruptions--such as this one--in the middle of a sentence.

<<Also please let me know if there is any difference between legal english and normal english (American or British).>>

Legal English (the language of lawyers) bears the same relation to normal English that French bore to English in the century after the Norman conquest: it's the result of a small group of people conquering a much larger group and taking away control of their language. Over time, one can hope that the larger mass of the people will revolt and regain control of their own language, but given that it's the lawyers who make the laws, this could prove difficult. <g>

Less facetiously, legal English is a dialect with its own jargon, usage, and style conventions, and you can't understand that dialect until you understand these unique aspects of it. I've been a professional editor for something like 20 years, and still don't claim to understand legal English--but you can certainly find legal editors who do understand, and they're the ones you should ask about this.

--Geoff Hart ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)





References:
Using M-dash and N-dash: From: Abhijit Sinha

Previous by Author: "Breadcrumbs" in Dreamweaver: a summary
Next by Author: Using M-dash and N-dash?
Previous by Thread: Re: Using M-dash and N-dash
Next by Thread: RE: Using M-dash and N-dash (legal)


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads