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Webster 1913 Edition


S

S

(ĕs)
,
the nineteenth letter of the English alphabet, is a consonant, and is often called a sibilant, in allusion to its hissing sound. It has two principal sounds; one a mere hissing, as in sack, this; the other a vocal hissing (the same as that of z), as in is, wise. Besides these it sometimes has the sounds of sh and zh, as in sure, measure. It generally has its hissing sound at the beginning of words, but in the middle and at the end of words its sound is determined by usage. In a few words it is silent, as in isle, débris. With the letter h it forms the digraph sh. See Guide to pronunciation, §§ 255-261.
Both the form and the name of the letter S are derived from the Latin, which got the letter through the Greek from the Phoenician. The ultimate origin is Egyptian. S is etymologically most nearly related to c, z, t, and r; as, in ice, OE. is; E. hence, OE. hennes; E. rase, raze; erase, razor; that, G. das; E. reason, F. raison, L. ratio; E. was, were; chair, chaise (see C, Z, T, and R.).

Webster 1828 Edition


S

S

, the nineteenth letter of the English Alphabet, is a sibilant articulation, and numbered among the semi-vowels. It represents the hissing made by driving the breath between the end of the tongue and the roof of the mouth, just above the upper teeth. It has two uses; one to express a mere hissing, as in Sabbath, sack, sin, this, thus; the other a vocal hissing, precisely like that of z, as in muse, wise, pronounced muze, wize. It generally has its hissing sound at the beginning of all proper English words, but in the middle and end of words, its sound is to be known only by usage. In a few words it is silent, as in isle and viscount.
In abbreviations, S. stands for societas, society, or socius, fellow; as F.R.S. fellow of the Royal Society. In medical prescriptions, S.A. signifies secundem artem, according to the rules of art.
In the notes of the ancients, S. stands for Sextus; SP. for Spurius; S.C. for senatus consultum; S.P.Q.R. for senatus populusque Romanus; S.S.S. for stratum super stratum, one layer above another alternately; S.V.B.E.E.Q.V. for sivales, bene est, ego quoque valeo.
As a numeral, S. denoted seven. In the Italian music, S. signifies solo. In books of navigation and in common usage, S. stands for south; S.E. for south-east; S.W. for south-west; S.S.E. for south south-east; S.S.W. for south south-west, &c.

Definition 2024


Ś

Ś

Ś U+015A, Ś
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER S WITH ACUTE
Composition: S [U+0053] + ́ [U+0301]
ř
[U+0159]
Latin Extended-A ś
[U+015B]
See also: Appendix:Variations of "s"

Translingual

Letter

Ś upper case (lower case ś)

  1. The letter S with an acute accent.

See also

Usage notes

  • Slavic: usually a palatalized form of /s/
    • In the Belarusian Łacinka alphabet for сь /sʲ/
    • Montenegrin language - ɕ
    • Lower Sorbian language - ɕ
  • Indo-Aryan: [ʃ] voiceless postalveolar fricative
    • IAST
    • Romany alphabet
  • A transliteration of a palatalized s in the Lydian language
  • In Proto-Semitic, a reconstructed voiceless lateral fricative phoneme, the parent phoneme of Ge'ez Śawt ().
  • A sibilant phoneme of the earliest phase of the Sumerian language.
  • A transliteration of a letter of the Etruscan alphabet, related to San and Tsade.

Lower Sorbian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɕ/

Letter

Ś (lower case ś)

  1. The twenty-seventh letter of the Lower Sorbian alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Polish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɕ/

Letter

Ś (lower case ś)

  1. The twenty-fifth letter of the Polish alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also


Saanich

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʃ/

Letter

Ś

  1. The twenty-seventh letter of the Saanich alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

ś

ś

ś U+015B, ś
LATIN SMALL LETTER S WITH ACUTE
Composition: s [U+0073] + ́ [U+0301]
Ś
[U+015A]
Latin Extended-A Ŝ
[U+015C]
See also: Appendix:Variations of "s"

Translingual

Letter

ś lower case (upper case Ś)

  1. The letter s with an acute accent.

See also


Polish

Letter

ś (lower case, upper case Ś)

  1. The 25th letter in the Polish alphabet.