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Dinkus

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Not to be confused with dingus or dingbat.
Asterisms in use
Three asterisks used as a dinkus in the James Huneker novel Painted Veils. In this case, it is being used to accentuate the end of a particularly racy chapter, priming the reader for the change in tone.
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In typography, a dinkus is a typographic symbol which often consists of three spaced asterisks in a horizontal row, i.e.   ∗ ∗ ∗  . The symbol has a variety of uses, and it usually denotes an intentional omission or a logical "break" of varying degree in a written work. This latter use is similar to a subsection, and it indicates to the reader that the subsequent text should be re-contextualized. When used this way, the dinkus typically appears centrally aligned on a line of its own with vertical spacing before and after the symbol. The dinkus has been in use in various forms since c. 1850.[1][2] Historically, the dinkus was often represented as an asterism, ⁂, though this use has fallen out of favor and is now nearly obsolete.[3]

Usage[edit]

The dinkus is used for various purposes, but many of them are related to an intentional break in the flow of the text.

Subsection break[edit]

A dinkus can be used to accentuate a break between subsections of a single overarching section.[4] When an author chooses to use a dinkus to divide a larger section,[5][6] the intent is to maintain an overall sense of continuity within the overall chapter or section while changing elements of the setting or timeline.[7][8] For instance, when the writer is introducing a flashback or other jarring scene change, a dinkus can help denote the change in setting within the overall theme of the chapter; in that case, it can be preferable to the initiation of a new chapter.[9] This technique is used especially in literary fiction.[7][9]

Intentionally omitted information[edit]

See also: Ellipsis

Many applications of the dinkus, including those that were common historically, have indicated intentional omission of information.[1] In these cases, the dinkus is used to inform the reader that the information has been omitted.[2] It can also be used to mean "untitled" or that the author or title was withheld. This is evident, for example, in some editions of Album for the Young by composer Robert Schumann (№ 21, 26, and 30).[10]

A dinkus can also be used in any context as a simple means of abbreviation of any text.[8] The dinkus is also used specifically in this capacity within the sphere of lawmaking, particularly for city ordinances. When used in legal text, the dinkus indicates an abbreviation within amendments to code while not implying the repeal of the omitted sections.[11]

Ornamentation[edit]

Newspapers, magazines, and other works can use dinkuses as simple ornamentation of typography, for solely aesthetic reasons.[12] When a dinkus is used primarily for aesthetic purposes, it often takes the form of a fleuron, e.g. ❧, or sometimes a dingbat.[13] While fleurons, dingbats, and dinkuses are usually distinct, their uses can overlap.

Poetic symbolism[edit]

In some cases, the use of a dinkus has been employed in poetry in order to convey non-verbal meaning. This is exemplified in the poem Thresholes by Lara Mimosa Montes, in which the poet makes frequent use of a circular dinkus,  ○ , as a form of "punctuation at the level of the full text, rather than the phrase or the sentence" throughout the course of the work.[14]

Variations[edit]

Many variations of dinkuses are composed partially or entirely of asterisks, although other symbols can be used to achieve the same goals. Some examples include a series of dots,[15][16] fleurons,[16] asterisms, straight horizontal lines, and various other figures, such as infinity symbols.[17] Esperanto Braille punctuation commonly uses a series of colons, ⠒⠒⠒, as a dinkus.

Gallery[edit]

Uses of dinkuses in literary works
  • A Polish translation of a French work depicting the use of a series of dots as a dinkus. The dinkus is used to separate the translator's notes from the text.
    A Polish translation of a French work depicting the use of a series of dots as a dinkus. The dinkus is used to separate the translator's notes from the text.
  • A combination of a fleuron and line-shaped dinkus in the same Polish work.
    A combination of a fleuron and line-shaped dinkus in the same Polish work.
  • Mrs. Henry Wood's 19th century novel exemplifying a line shaped dinkus with a central diamond used as a chapter break.
    Mrs. Henry Wood's 19th century novel exemplifying a line shaped dinkus with a central diamond used as a chapter break.
  • Photograph of a German novel, Infinite Adventures, which uses an infinity symbol in triplicate as a dinkus.
    Photograph of a German novel, Infinite Adventures, which uses an infinity symbol in triplicate as a dinkus.
  • Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, in a print of indeterminate age, features dinkuses in the form of asterisks used to form a field of stars.
    Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, in a print of indeterminate age, features dinkuses in the form of asterisks used to form a field of stars.
  • Ulysses by James Joyce uses an asterism as a dinkus in earlier prints, while newer editions replace it with three horizontal asterisks.
    Ulysses by James Joyce uses an asterism as a dinkus in earlier prints, while newer editions replace it with three horizontal asterisks.

Other uses of the term "dinkus"[edit]

See also: Śmigus-dyngus

Among older Hungarian Americans and Polish Americans, dinkus is an archaic term for Easter Monday.[18]

In Australian English, particularly in the news media, the word "dinkus" refers to a small photograph of the author of a news article.[19][20] Outside of Australia, this is often referred to as a headshot.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Butterford, Consul Willshire (1858). A Comprehensive System of Grammatical and Rhetorical Punctuation. Cincinnati: Longley Brothers. pp. 37, 40.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Houston, Keith (2013). Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks.[full citation needed]
  3. ^ Peško, Radim; Lüthi, Louis (2007). Bailey, Stuart; Bilak, Peter (eds.). Dot Dot Dot 13. Princeton Architectural Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-90-77620-07-6.[full citation needed]
  4. ^ "Glossary". The News Manual.
  5. ^ Hudson, Robert (2010). The Christian Writer's Manual of Style. p. 386.[full citation needed]
  6. ^ "D'Alliage à Avertissement — Orthotypographie, de Jean-Pierre Lacroux (Lexique des règles typographiques françaises)". www-orthotypographie-fr.translate.goog.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Flann, Elizabeth; Hill, Beryl; Wang, Lan (2014). The Australian Editing Handbook.[full citation needed]
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Lacroux, Jean-Pierre. Orthotypographie.[full citation needed]
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "Five Ways I Hate Your Dinkus". Self-Publishing Review. August 26, 2021.
  10. ^ Taruskin, Richard (2005). The Oxford History of Western Music. Vol. 3. p. 311. ISBN 978-0-19-516979-9.
  11. ^ "Did You Know? The Dinkus". Municode.
  12. ^ Quinn, Stephen (2012). Digital Sub-Editing and Design.[full citation needed]
  13. ^ Bringhurst, Robert (2004). The Elements of Typographic Style (3rd ed.). Hartley & Marks. p. 63, 290–291. ISBN 978-0-88179-206-5. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  14. ^ Gabbert, Elisa (December 29, 2020). "How Poets Use Punctuation as a Superpower and a Secret Weapon". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Lundmark, Torbjorn (2002). Quirky Qwerty: The Story of the Keyboard @ Your Fingertips. University of New South Wales. p. 120. ISBN 9780868404363.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b Crystal, David (2016). Making a Point: The Pernickety Story of English Punctuation. London Profile Books. ISBN 9781781253519.
  17. ^ McAuley, James Phillip (1964). "1964 - Quadrant Online". Quadrant. Vol. 8. H.R. Krygier. p. 33.[full citation needed]
  18. ^ Pleck, Elizabeth Hafkin (2001). Celebrating the Family: Ethnicity, Consumer Culture, and Family Rituals. Harvard University Press. p. 90. ISBN 9780674002302.
  19. ^ "Infinite Anthology". The Monthly. August 5, 2010.
  20. ^ Sadokierski, Zoe (27 March 2014). "Why The Saturday Paper's design breeds disappointment". The Conversation.

Further reading[edit]

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