Tail (diacritic) on:
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In 
, 
.
Letter X with two high hooks — became letter 
.
more commonly than in English that is less successful in mitigating the semantic overload of the ''hook'' term. If the hook attaches to the bottom part of the letter, it is often called a
typesetting
Typesetting is the composition of text by means of arranging physical ''type'' (or ''sort'') in mechanical systems or ''glyphs'' in digital systems representing ''characters'' (letters and other symbols).Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random Ho ...
, the hook or tail is a diacritic
A diacritic (also diacritical mark, diacritical point, diacritical sign, or accent) is a glyph added to a letter or to a basic glyph. The term derives from the Ancient Greek (, "distinguishing"), from (, "to distinguish"). The word ''diacriti ...
mark attached to letters in many alphabets. In shape it looks like a hook and it can be attached below as a descender
In typography and handwriting, a descender is the portion of a letter that extends below the baseline of a font.
For example, in the letter ''y'', the descender is the "tail", or that portion of the diagonal line which lies below the ''v'' c ...
, on top as an ascender and sometimes to the side. The orientation of the hook can change its meaning: when it is below and curls to the left it can be interpreted as a palatal hook
The palatal hook () is a type of hook diacritic formerly used in the International Phonetic Alphabet to represent palatalized consonants. It is a small, leftwards-facing hook joined to the bottom-right side of a letter, and is distinguished from ...
, and when it curls to the right is called hook tail or tail and can be interpreted as a retroflex hook
In typesetting, the hook or tail is a diacritic mark attached to letters in many alphabets. In shape it looks like a hook and it can be attached below as a descender, on top as an ascender (typography), ascender and sometimes to the side. The ...
. It should not be mistaken with the hook above
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
, a diacritical mark used in Vietnamese, or the rhotic hook, used in the International Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is an alphabetic system of phonetic transcription, phonetic notation based primarily on the Latin script. It was devised by the International Phonetic Association in the late 19th century as a standa ...
.
Letter Z with tophook — became letter , .
Letter X with two high hooks — became letter .
Letters with hook
It could be argued that the hook was used to derive the letter J from the letter I, or the letter Eng (Å‹) from the letter N. However, these letters are usually not identified as being formed with the hook. Most letters with hook are used in theInternational Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is an alphabetic system of phonetic transcription, phonetic notation based primarily on the Latin script. It was devised by the International Phonetic Association in the late 19th century as a standa ...
, and many languages use them (along with capitals) representing the same sounds.
The hook often attaches to the top part of the letter, curling to the left or to the right, finishing the ascender if present. It may then be referred to as a ''crook'', in some languages like FrenchAs in the non-standard French translation of the UCSbr>ListeNomsmore commonly than in English that is less successful in mitigating the semantic overload of the ''hook'' term. If the hook attaches to the bottom part of the letter, it is often called a
palatal hook
The palatal hook () is a type of hook diacritic formerly used in the International Phonetic Alphabet to represent palatalized consonants. It is a small, leftwards-facing hook joined to the bottom-right side of a letter, and is distinguished from ...
if it curls to the left, or a retroflex hook
In typesetting, the hook or tail is a diacritic mark attached to letters in many alphabets. In shape it looks like a hook and it can be attached below as a descender, on top as an ascender (typography), ascender and sometimes to the side. The ...
if it curls to the right.
The letter É¿ with right hook does not necessarily mean retroflex (this is not true for Ê…).
Unicode
Unicode has the combining diacritics and but these are not recommended to be used with letters, and should be used to illustrate the hooks themselves. Instead Unicode recommends the use of characters that already include the hook. The is used to mark anr-colored vowel
In phonetics, an r-colored or rhotic vowel (also called a retroflex vowel, vocalic r, or a rhotacized vowel) is a vowel that is modified in a way that results in a lowering in frequency of the third formant. R-colored vowels can be articulate ...
.
See also
*Hook above
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
*Palatal hook
The palatal hook () is a type of hook diacritic formerly used in the International Phonetic Alphabet to represent palatalized consonants. It is a small, leftwards-facing hook joined to the bottom-right side of a letter, and is distinguished from ...
*Ogonek
The (; Polish: , "little tail", diminutive of ) is a diacritic hook placed under the lower right corner of a vowel in the Latin alphabet used in several European languages, and directly under a vowel in several Native American languages. It i ...
References
{{Latin script, , show diacritic=hook , show diacritic 2=retroflex hook Latin-script diacritics Cyrillic-script diacritics