Slovene punctuation

Punctuation marks are one or two part graphical marks used in writing, denoting tonal progress, pauses, sentence type (syntactic use), abbreviations, et cetera.

Marks used in Slovene include full stops (.), question marks (?), exclamation marks (!), commas (,), semicolons (;), colons (:), dashes (–), hyphens (-), ellipses (...), different types of inverted commas and quotation marks ("", '', ‚‘, „“, »«), brackets ((), [], {}) (which are in syntactical use), as well as apostrophes (',’), solidi (/), equal signs (=), and so forth.

Full Stop

Syntactical Use

A full stop (.) is a left-leaning punctuation mark. This means that it 'touches' the preceding word, but is followed by a space.

It is ordinarily used at the end of a neutral declaratory sentence, be it a real sentence with a predicate or a non-sentence.

When a statement is articulated, the pitch is cadent, thus decreased towards the end of such a sentence.

In an indicative compound sentence with the last part an independent clause that does not end in a full stop, the full stop is omitted.

The final punctuation mark of a quoted sentence (with or without inverted commas) within a declaratory sentence is omitted if the quoted sentence is not preceded by a colon.

A full stop is replaced by a comma in direct speech before the accompanying sentence.

Non-Syntactical Use

Some abbreviations are, as in American English, always followed by a full stop.

However, other abbreviations are, as in American English, never followed by a full stop.

Ordinal numerals are followed by a full stop.

Numbers may be separated by leaning full stops in the following cases:

Dates are written with dots separating the day, month and year. Note that the numerical English dates below are British English; American English switches the month and the day. It is important to realise that the full stop is left-leaning; the space is intentional (yet only few are aware of that).

If a non-syntactical full stop is at the end of a sentence, it is not usual to append another full stop to it; however, doing so is not incorrect.

Ellipsis

Syntactical Use

An ellipsis (in Slovene, literally 'three dots') (…) is a non-leaning punctuation mark. It expresses omission of words.

Any other punctuation may or may not be appended; a full stop is usually (but not always) omitted, but other punctuation normally remains:

When emphasising that whatever has been left out is a subsequent omission not performed by the original author, the ellipsis is enclosed in round or square brackets ((), []), or, more often, in solidi (//).

An ellipsis may indicate an inserted sentence, though a dash is more often used in such cases:

An ellipsis usually indicates pausing or abrupt interruption. When used as a sentence closing punctuation mark, the pitch is cadent, thus decreased towards the end of such a sentence, or semi-cadent, indicating a half-finished thought, or there is no change in pitch.

Non-Syntactical Use

A non-syntactical ellipsis is left-leaning, and expresses omission of a word part.

Exclamation mark

Syntactical Use

An exclamation mark (!) is a left-leaning punctuation mark. It is used as a closing punctuation mark of emphatic sentences and clauses, and as a non-closing punctuation mark finishing inserted sentences. They are typical of imperative mood, but only if emotionally charged.

See the note on the use of the combination with a question mark below under question mark. One may use the combination !! (or even more exclamation marks) to express further exclamatory mood.

Non-Syntactical Use

An exclamation mark may be used for emphasis of a certain point in a text.

Question mark

Syntactical Use

A question mark (?) is a left-leaning punctuation mark. It is used in single clause sentences and in compound sentences in which the independent clause expresses enquiries.

When a question without a question word or with ali, or with ?? or ?! is articulated, the pitch is anticadent, thus increased towards the end of such a sentence. Otherwise, the pitch is cadent, thus decreased towards the end of such a sentence.

If the independent clause of a sentence is not interrogative, the sentence ends with a full stop or an exclamation mark. This is similar to reported speech in English.

After a colon, the clause keeps its own punctuation mark.

A question mark need not be a sentence terminating punctuation mark; it may be used in inserted sentences.

In certain cases, the question mark may be doubled (for emphasis of a repeated question), or it may be combined with an exclamation mark in emphatic and emotional contexts.

Non-Syntactical Use

A question mark can be used non-syntactically if it denotes doubt.

Colon

Syntactical Use

A colon (:) is a left-leaning punctuation mark. It is used in various ways as described below.

1. to introduce direct speech after an accompanying sentence

2. in enumeration, expatiation or explanation

3. optionally after form data

When a colon is encountered in reading, the pitch is semi-cadent, thus decreased.

Non-Syntactical Use

1. for the meaning 'proti' (to, against) (usually non-leaning):

2. for the meaning 'deljeno' (divided):

Inverted comma

An inverted comma („ “) is a two part left- and right-leaning punctuation mark. There are many types of inverted commas used in Slovene texts, videlicet:

The most prominent use of inverted commas is direct speech.

Inverted commas are positioned so that the first one is right-leaning, and the second one is left-leaning, coming after the ending punctuation mark of the direct speech sentence. If what the inverted commas enclose is not a sentence in itself but only a part thereof, the second inverted comma stands left-leaning directly to the ending character. This is the same as in the so-called British or logical quoting.

If there is no accompanying sentence, inverted commas may be replaced with a dash:

When the direct speech includes another direct speech, different types of inverted commas ought to be used, or the inner ones may be omitted if the context is clear.

Inverted commas are also used when trying to stress a curious use of a word: that is, to illustrate that a word is not used as it normally is, or simply to emphasise it. Usually, in printed texts, such words are printed either italic or bold as opposed to using excessive quotes.

Inverted commas are also used to mark proper nouns that could be mistaken for common nouns, such as at sentence beginnings.

Dash

A dash (–) is a one or two part non-leaning punctuation mark (except where noted). Semantically, there is no difference between the longer and the shorter dash, – and –, although common usage prefers the shorter one in all cases except upon connection of unrelated sentences. In electronic writing, a hyphen may be used instead of a dash.

A dash usually indicates pausing or abrupt interruption. When used as a sentence closing punctuation mark, the pitch is cadent, thus decreased towards the end of such a sentence, or semi-cadent, indicating a half-finished thought, or there is no change in pitch.

A dash can be used instead of a comma to emphasise separation words and clauses. Note that in example 2, unlike in English, the end of the appositive is unmarked in Slovene.

It is also used when inserting sentences or including additional information.

Sentence punctuation is not changed when using dashes, so an inserted sentence before a comma is usually followed by a comma nonetheless, even though some might see this usage as rather pedantic.

A dash at the end of a sentence marks an abrupt end, a breaking of thought or unwillingness to continue:

In sentences without a predicate, a dash can represent the connexion between the subject and the object.

A dash can introduce direct speech if there is no accompanying sentence before direct speech itself.

Dash sometimes separates multiple surnames, though it is more usual to merely use a space. A dash is still used when listing an alias after a full name, but only if this alias does not function as a surname. In these senses, a dash is a leaning punctuation mark.

Similarly, a leaning dash is used in other instances where words are closely connected to one another and both parts are inflected.

A dash also expresses the meaning of 'to' or 'up to' or 'until':

A dash is used as the symbol for minus, although the separate minus sign is also used:

Dashes may introduce lists. For example:
– prvi primer,
– drugi primer,
– tretji primer.

Hyphen

A hyphen (- or ‐) is a leaning punctuation mark (except where noted).

In compound words that would otherwise use the word in (and) between the parts, a hyphen is used:

A hyphen is also used as in the following examples:

Hyphens are used non-syntactially in syllabification, when marking stems, suffixes, prefixes and similar (many examples at declensions above) and in prices (1000,- SIT (which is the same as 1000,0 SIT)).

The same character under the name of deljaj marks word division over two lines. At the end of a line, a word may be spelt only to the end of a certain syllable, followed by the left-leaning - or = character (sometimes, although not often, the character / is also used for this purpose), with the rest of the word following in the next line. If the last character in a line is a plus (+), a dash (–), a solidus (/), a times or division sign (·, :), an equal sign (=), a hyphen (-), or similar, the same character is repeated at the beginning of the next line.

We read through the first half of the paragraph when Marija's stammering exceeded the boundaries of normality.

Bracket

Syntactical Use

A bracket ((), //, ||, [], <> and {}) is a two part one-side leaning punctuation mark. The introducing bracket, known as uklepaj, is right-leaning; the closing bracket, zaklepaj, is left-leaning. Round brackets are those used most often in writing.

Brackets are used to envelop text which is the following:

  1. a variation or supplement: Klorovodikova kislina (HCl) je nevarna. (Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is dangerous.) Tekst (besedilo) smo prečistili. (We cleaned the text (and a more Slovene word for text in brackets).)
  2. inserted sentences or clauses: Takoj zatem (če se prav spominjam) se je zabliskalo. (Straight afterwards (if I recall correctly) lightning struck.) Druga svetovna vojna (1939–45) je terjala mnogo krvi. (The second world war (1939–45) demanded much blood.) – dashes, ellipses or commas are also used in this sense
  3. word parts (in this case it may be fully leaning): Spoštovani/a gost(ja)! (Dear guest! (the feminine form is what is in the brackets))

Essentially, a thing to be borne in mind is that whatever is inside brackets may be left out with no change in meaning.

The cadence of pitch before a bracket is rising (cadent) when what is inside brackets is a variation, otherwise it is falling (anticadent). If brackets contain a fully-fledged sentence, the cadence is as per the sentence punctuation.

Non-Syntactical Use

A terminating bracket can be used in lists:

Izberite pravilni odgovor: a) kopje, b) lokomotiva, c) disk.

(Choose the correct answer: a) spear, b) locomotive, c) discus.)

Solidus

A solidus (/) is a leaning punctuation mark. It has the following meanings:

  1. or: Bolezen se prepozna po rumeni/rjavkasti lisi na čelu. (The disease can be recognised by the yellow/brownish stripe on the forehead.)
  2. through: Sodni zapis 55/2. (Court record 55/2.)
  3. partly one thing and partly the other: Poslovno leto 2000/01 je bilo katastrofalno. (The fiscal year 2000/01 was disastrous.)
  4. separating verses when written in one line (non-leaning): Ko brez miru okrog divjam, / prijatlji prašajo me, kam? (I drift in dark unrest and pain, / 'Where now?' you ask, and ask again. (France Preseren, Kam?))
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