Superscript

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The superscript is a graphic design element in typesetting in which letters or numbers are superscripted compared to normal text. More precisely, it is a font attribute that gives a character a special position (increased compared to the baseline ) and size (usually reduced).

When superscripts are made, most word processing systems and formula set programs automatically adjust the font size, i.e. reduce it.

Creation, input

  • In HTML and Wikipedia syntax , superscript text, including superscript, is created using the <sup>and tags </sup>; <sup>Hoch</sup>results in high .
  • In TeX ' math mode, which is also used in MediaWiki , superscripts are created using the caret (^) character: $X^{ab}$results .
  • In TeX ' text mode, superscripts are created with the command \textsuperscript{}.
  • On many X11 systems, superscript numbers (and some other characters, such as brackets) can be generated by trying to put a circumflex on them, i.e. by entering ^followed by the desired number or character. ^followed by 7for example ⁷.

use

Examples in German-language texts

  • With mathematical formulas or the exponential representation of particularly large or small numbers (example: 10 9 or 10 −7 ), the exponent is indicated by superscript. Physical quantities such as square meters (m²) and cubic meters (m³) also use superscript.
  • When specifying times, the minutes are set off from the hours either with a period, colon or superscript. Example: 16:30 , 16:30 or 16 30 pm .
  • References to footnotes , endnotes or references are often shown in a text by superseding a number. If there are a maximum of three footnotes in a text, they can also be marked with an asterisk and / or cross and two-bar cross instead of a number.

Examples in other languages

  • In English a superscript is often used for ordinal numbers: 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th , ...
  • Same in Spanish. Here a º or ª ​​(for the female form) is written after the corresponding number. ( 1.º; 1.ª; 2.º; 2.ª ) An exception to this 1.º represents that before nouns to 1 he is.
  • In French, but also in Spanish and other languages, abbreviations are often superscripted: nº (French: numéro ), Sr.ª (Spanish: Señora )

See also