It is also used to indicate a breath mark when reciting, along with the asterisk, it is thus frequently seen beside a comma. In addition to this, the dagger was also used in notations in early Christianity, to indicate a minor intermediate pause in the chanting of Psalms, equivalent to the quaver rest notation. Medieval scribes used the symbols extensively for critical markings of manuscripts. The obelus accompanied by points is used when we do not know whether a passage should be suppressed or not.' 560 РІР‚вЂњ 636 AD) described the use of the symbol as follows: 'The obelus is appended to words or phrases uselessly repeated, or else where the passage involves a false reading, so that, like the arrow, it lays low the superfluous and makes the errors disappear. He describes the use of the asterisk and the dagger as: 'an asterisk makes a light shine, the obelisk cuts and pierces.' 347 РІР‚вЂњ 420) used a simple horizontal slash for an obelus, but only for passages in the Old Testament. 310РІР‚вЂњ320 РІР‚вЂњ 403) used both a horizontal slash or hook (with or without dots) and an upright and slightly slanting dagger to represent an obelus. 184 РІР‚вЂњ 253 AD) used it as a method of indicating differences between different versions of the Old Testament in his Hexapla. The early Christian Alexandrian scholar Origen (c. It was used much in the same way by later scholars to mark differences between various translations or versions of the Bible and other manuscripts. They were used to indicate the end of a marked passage.

Some scholars used the obelus and various other critical symbols, in conjunction with a second symbol known as the metobelos ('end of obelus'), variously represented as two vertically arranged dots, a РћС–-like symbol, a mallet-like symbol, or a diagonal slash (with or without one or two dots). It was used when non-attested words are reconstructed for the sake of argument only, implying that the author did not believe such a word or word form had ever existed. While the asterisk (asteriscus) was used for corrective additions, the obelus was used for corrective deletions of invalid reconstructions. The system was further refined by his student Aristophanes of Byzantium, who first introduced the asterisk and used a symbol resembling a T for an obelus and finally by Aristophanes' student, in turn, Aristarchus, from whom they earned the name of 'Aristarchian symbols'. They were used to mark questionable or corrupt words or passages in manuscripts of the Homeric epics. The obelus is believed to have been invented by the Homeric scholar Zenodotus as one of a system of editorial symbols. Neither should be confused with the Christian crucifix symbol. It was originally represented by the Р“В· symbol and was first used by the Ancient Greek scholars as critical marks in manuscripts.Р”Р„ double dagger or diesis ( РІР‚РЋ, РІР‚РЋ, U+2021) is a variant with two handles. The term 'obelisk' derives from Greek Р±Р…Р‚РћР†РћВµРћВ»РћР‡РџС“РћС”РћС—РџвЂљ ( obeliskos), which means 'little obelus' from Ancient Greek: Р±Р…Р‚РћР†РћВµРћВ»РџРЉРџвЂљ ( obelos) meaning 'roasting spit'. ( РІР‚В , РІР‚В , U+2020) is a typographical symbol or glyph.

Footnote dagger symbols in word 2010