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Dehnungsbuchstabe

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Andreas Prilop

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Jan 3, 2012, 12:41:56 PM1/3/12
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Is there an English equivalent for the German word
Dehnungsbuchstabe
? In German, "h" and "e" are Dehnungsbuchstaben.
For example, "ihn" is long and "in" is short;
"Biest" is long and "bist" is short.

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Evertjan.

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Jan 3, 2012, 5:21:03 PM1/3/12
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Andreas Prilop wrote on 03 jan 2012 in sci.lang.translation:

> Is there an English equivalent for the German word
> Dehnungsbuchstabe
> ? In German, "h" and "e" are Dehnungsbuchstaben.
> For example, "ihn" is long and "in" is short;
> "Biest" is long and "bist" is short.

The more general word is "das Dehnungszeichen"
see:
<http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehnungszeichen>
<http://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Deutsch/W%C3%B6rter_mit_Dehnungs-
h>

I do not think there is a specific word for it in English,
though such "lengthening letters" are used in English:

bear,
beer,
bit/beat/beetle
drawn,
know,
see, sea,
sit/seat,
soap,
meal,
door.

perhaps these final "e"-s can be called so too?

ccke,
pole,
take.

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Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
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