Old Texts Use f Instead of s
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Why Old Texts Use an “f” instead of an “s” At any first glimpse at an old document, such as our Constitution, you may wonder why there is an “f” instead of an “s” in a word. The simple reason: It may look like an “f,” but really it’s just an “s.” This is just the way people wrote back then. A more detailed reason: The “f” can also be called a “long s” or a “medial s.” This alternate form of the “s,” which is symbolized by a “ ſ .” This alternate form of the “s” was used at the beginning (or middle) of the world. As an example, the word “sinfulness” using the medial s would be rendered as “ſinfulneſs.” At the end of the nineteenth century, the medial s was put out of existence to prevent confusion between the f and the ſ. The long s does still survive in an elongated form, being embodied by a . This is also the integral symbol in calculus. ∫ Works Cited: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index? qid=20070506111937AAWxzVK
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This provides an explanation as to why old texts use an "f" instead of an "s."
Transcript of Old Texts Use f Instead of s
Why Old Texts Use an “f” instead of an “s”
At any first glimpse at an old document, such as our Constitution, you may wonder why there is an “f” instead of an “s” in a word.
The simple reason: It may look like an “f,” but really it’s just an “s.” This is just the way people wrote back then.
A more detailed reason: The “f” can also be called a “long s” or a “medial s.” This alternate form of the “s,” which is symbolized by a “ ſ .” This alternate form of the “s” was used at the beginning (or middle) of the world. As an example, the word “sinfulness” using the medial s would be rendered as “ſinfulneſs.” At the end of the nineteenth century, the medial s was put out of existence to prevent confusion between the f and the ſ. The long s does still survive in an elongated form, being embodied by a ∫. This is also the integral symbol in calculus.
Works Cited: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070506111937AAWxzVK
