Väliviivaa

Väliviivaa is the Finnish term used for dash characters in typography. It refers to punctuation marks that create a break, indicate a range, or connect related elements in text. In Finnish usage, the term can be applied to more than one dash type, with separate names for the main varieties.

The two most common dash characters are the en dash and the em dash. The en dash (Unicode U+2013) is typically used to show a range or span, such as years or numbers (for example 2010–2015 or 10–20). It can also be used to connect related terms in some contexts. The em dash (Unicode U+2014) is used to indicate a sudden break or an abrupt shift in thought, or to set off parenthetical material (for example, Hän meni ulos—ja palasi pian). The hyphen (Unicode U+002D) is a distinct mark used for word breaks and for forming compound words, and is not usually referred to as a väliviiva in the same sense.

Typographic conventions for väliviiva vary by style guide and medium. Finnish practice generally favors clear punctuation and may limit the use of dashes in favor of other punctuation marks such as commas or parentheses. In digital text, both en dash and em dash are accessible through keyboards or character maps, and their specific code points are U+2013 for the en dash and U+2014 for the em dash.

In summary, väliviiva denotes dash marks in Finnish typography, most often referring to the en dash for ranges and the em dash for abrupt breaks, while the hyphen remains a separate punctuation mark with its own rules.