Member Ral… Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 This topic was imported from the Typophile platform What’s the common practice and the logic for naming the different possible shapes of a and g in the English language? From what I could gather, the common practices seems to be to have two groups: the single-story shapes and the double-story shapes. But until now, I fail to see the formal logic behind that. If I take the double-story a and turn it upside down, I then get, what is referred to as single-story shape of the g – even though this is exactly the same shape. So what actually are then the “stories” of that character? Therefore my personal logic would be to name the different possibilities: single-story a double-story a double-story g (because it is basically an upside down double-story a) and three(!)-story g But maybe I am missing something … Link to comment
Member Nic… Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I've always liked “binocular” for two-storied g’s, although “pince-nez” would be a closer simile. But logic? Forget about it, this is type! Link to comment
Member hra… Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Indeed, let's not get hung up on topoterminology. I used to call the binocular "g" bicameral, but then Kent convinced me that terms is better reserved for writing systems (as in UC and lc). But I'll never call it "two-storied"! hhp Link to comment
Member Jam… Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I call it a "split-level" g Link to comment
Member Ric… Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 What about onefold, twofold, threefold? Link to comment
Member Flo… Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Don’t forget about the four-storey gee!http://flickr.com/photos/hardwig/2524903281/ Link to comment
Member Ral… Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 If we had a clear definition what the story of a letter is, then calling a shape a four-story g would be no problem. Link to comment
Member Fro… Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Nick: Binocular / monocular makes sense for the g, but not so much for the a. Link to comment
Member Té… Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Ack! That's gotta be end of story! Link to comment
Member rs_… Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Call it the sexy curvy letter! Link to comment
Member Rya… Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 A better question is where did the single story g come from? Link to comment
Member cer… Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Ralf's original question can be explained away by extending the metaphor. Think of the baseline as ground level. A two-story building has two floors above ground level; you don't count the basement if it has one. I think I've identified the best clear way to describe the two main types of g without running into exceptions. The verticals of letters such as b, d, p, q are stems. Any g whose tail drops down from the right side is a stemmed g, and others such as the typical binocular g are unstemmed. Link to comment
Member was… Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I like "the sexy, curvy letter". If you've practised calligraphy you'll know that that g feels so good when you get it right; and usually, if you don't get it right, you know it's not right soon after you've started the lower curve. Link to comment
Member hra… Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 And when you get a typographic "g" right it feels so good forever! :-) hhp Link to comment
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