Original scientific paper

Syncronic aspect of writing and standardization of single and double quotation marks in the Croatian language

Tomislav Stojanov

Abstract

A paper on synchronic aspects of writing and standardization of single and double
quotation marks is the second and final part of the study on quotation characters in the
Croatian language.
Quotation marks are examined from three research perspectives: the orthographic and
sociolinguistic perspective, the linguographic and computational perspective, as well as
the terminological perspective.
Of the thirty characters in five punctuation subcategories with the feature of a quotation
mark in the Unicode system, fifteen of them are Latinic (8 quotation marks and 7 single
quotation marks). Croatian orthographic books use six of eight quotation marks („ “ » « ”
" plus two graphemes that do not exist in Unicode) and all seven single quotation marks
(‚ ‛ ’ ‘ ' › ‹ plus one other non-standardized grapheme).
Two models of nomenclature for the terminological norming of all existing quotation
marks are suggested (not only for signs that have been used or are still used in the Croatian
language): one that is founded in a graphic, graphemic description, and one that is founded
in terminological transparency.
In place of a discussion on the choice of graphemes in the Croatian linguistic norm, all
relevant quotation marks and single quotation marks are evaluated by seven criteria (orthographic
tradition and continuity, frequency, transparency, legibility, typographic aesthetics,
computational acceptance, and distinctiveness), and three normative models are suggested
for the Croatian graphemic standard for quotation marks.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

175444

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/175444

Publication date:

1.5.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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