Paul Mathis, an Australian entrepreneur, proposes that the symbol Ћ become a logogram for the word ‘the’, in similar fashion to use of the ampersands as “and”, and commonplace use of @ to mean “at”. [The Age] READ THE REST
If it’s not on the keyboard, it won’t fly.
Type “TH” – you save one character
OTOH, get it added to unicode…
Ooh, I, for one, am just thrilled to have the opportunity to add a trademarked character to my already trademark-pocked language!
Why not just use Þ (thorn) or Ð (eth)?
I also would suggest using þ for all occurrences of th instead. More efficient and historically correct.
This was my first thought also when I read the article. The thorn is historically part of the English language and it is already in Unicode. I seem to recall that the reason English speaking folks stopped using the thorn was that it wasn’t in sets of type imported from continental Europe.
Aren’t entrepreneurs usually people with good ideas, historically?
I like the idea of þ, but its shape makes me think of blowing raspberries. The hybrid t/h pleases me, so I wish the guy luck.
þ is option-t on the Mac U.S. Extended keyboard. But to my eye it looks too much like a p or b…
It was starting to get unfashionable before, I think, but otherwise, yes. Every nation should have one strange letter - you can pry ß from my dead, cold hands!
However, I don’t think this will fly. As far as I can tell, most English speaking folks seem to think that “thou” is a fancy form of „you“, confuse ſ with f and mispronounce “ye”. So… not looking good for reintroducing a dead letter.
Along with the sarcasm mark?
I’ve been using something very similar to that (which, in high school I thought I was clever enough to create myself) for over a decade now. I’m all for it.
Looks too much like the symbol for the reduced Planck constant (ħ) for my liking. When I saw the headline I read it as “should h-bar be used for ‘the’?” and got confused XD.
But “Pinky & Ћ Brain” just doesn’t flow as well, IMHO.
Actually, it makes a nice sarcasm tag… : þ
In fact Old English used a crossed thorn as an abbreviation for þæt “that”. http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/resources/IOE/mss.html#mss_abbrev
Reminds me of Bill the Cat, :þ “Thpthth!”
Nice Ћry, but wheЋr it will work or not, we’ll have to wait & Ћe)
Also, Middle English already had a thorn + e character sometimes described as as an “abbreviation for ‘the’”: