topeltkriipsud

Topeltkriipsud, or double hyphens, are a punctuation mark consisting of two consecutive hyphen characters. In English, they are sometimes used to represent an em dash, especially on typewriters or in contexts where an em dash is not readily available. The em dash itself serves several grammatical functions, including setting off parenthetical phrases, indicating a pause or break in thought, and signifying an interruption or sudden change in direction.

In Estonian, the term "topeltkriipsud" can refer to the same visual representation of two hyphens. However, their usage in formal Estonian grammar is less common for em-dash-like functions compared to the single em dash (—) or hyphen-minus (-). The hyphen-minus character is often used in computing and plain text environments where special characters may not be supported. The double hyphen is sometimes encountered in informal digital communication or older text formats. It's important to distinguish between the double hyphen (--) and the em dash (—) which is a distinct typographical character with specific spacing rules. While visually similar, their origins and intended uses can differ depending on the context and language. In some programming languages, a double hyphen can also signify the start of a comment.