Talk:Prime (symbol)

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Contents 1 Minutes, seconds, feet, inches 2 "dash" 3 History of "prime" symbol 4 Symbols for feet/inches measurement 5 vs. Quotation marks 6 Triple prime for ligne

[edit] Minutes, seconds, feet, inches

According to the unicode names list,

0022    QUOTATION MARK
        * neutral (vertical), used as opening or closing quotation mark
        * preferred characters in English for paired quotation marks are 201C & 201D
        x (modifier letter double prime - 02BA)
        x (combining double acute accent - 030B)
        x (combining double vertical line above - 030E)
        x (double prime - 2033)
        x (ditto mark - 3003)

0027    APOSTROPHE
        = APOSTROPHE-QUOTE
        = APL quote
        * neutral (vertical) glyph with mixed usage
        * 2019 is preferred for apostrophe
        * preferred characters in English for paired quotation marks are 2018 & 2019
        x (modifier letter prime - 02B9)
        x (modifier letter apostrophe - 02BC)
        x (modifier letter vertical line - 02C8)
        x (combining acute accent - 0301)

And

2032    PRIME
        = minutes, feet

2033    DOUBLE PRIME
        = seconds, inches

The difference is that ' and " are vertical, while ′ and ″ are slanted slightly (which is how I've always seen inches and feet anyway). --Elektron 09:27, 2004 Jun 14 (UTC)

[edit] "dash"

I once worked with a guy from North England who always called the prime a "dash". I never asked him about it, though. Is such usage widespread enough to merit a mention here? 130.188.8.9 14:43, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

After being taught in an 'international' (read: Englishy) school in Hong Kong, and being in a UK uni, I can assure you that "dash" is common British usage (with people saying dash more than prime). I'm sure I hear "f dashed", too. But a dash most certainly looks more like "-" (and I've never heard of an "em-hyphen"), so I don't know where the usage comes from. For the record, I like to slant my primes a lot, so it's more obvious (otherwise it looks like a 1 or a single quote). Feel free to add it, though (if anyone can figure out where the usage comes from, that would be good too). The closest dictionary definition is "A quick stroke, as with a pencil or brush.", which is pretty vague. And "double-prime" sounds a lot better than "double-dash". Elektron 18:28, 2004 Nov 1 (UTC)

[edit] History of "prime" symbol

As per Quiddities, W. V. Quine. -- Dominus 19:33, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Symbols for feet/inches measurement

So I should be using prime and double prime for linear measurement? Very confusing. I'm used to using ' & " (but not ” & ’). --Navstar 04:29, 6 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] vs. Quotation marks

Everywhere I go I see companies (and even highway signs) using quotation marks (’ and ”) instead of prime marks. It's really nauseating. —155.33.61.98 04:30, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Triple prime for ligne

I have added a note that triple-prime is used in watchmaking to represent the ligne unit, based largely on its use as such in ETA's site. Sharkford 19:44, 19 February 2007 (UTC)