This weeks challenge is?
ClickAbove you see it as written in Norway and Denmark.
In Swedish and German the letter is written like above
The letter Ø or as it is named in English: O-slash, is for me intriguing. And have caused me several practical challenges both privatly and at work.
Why?
Private: The last letter in my Family name is Ø, or "O-slash". Check this post in html.
Why is it a challenge?
Have you ordered Air-Tickets in the past? Well, you have to order in the name exactly as written in your Passporte. But Air-Tickets are international and contains only the letters from A to Z.
Can this be a problem?
Yes, when you arrive at an International Airport and are asked to show your Ticket and Passporte.
-- The name in your Passporte does not correspond exactly to the name on the Ticket.
In English on Air Tickets and international credit cards the letter Ø - O-slash, is written as
OE.
(Photo taken Spring 2009 - Sharp Light)Well, the challenge is then to convince the people at work that I'm me. Even though the letters differs from how they are written in my Passporte.
What happens? People behind me starts to complain.
About me.
- He have not the correct documents.
- Get rid of that person.
- Fix your papers etc etc.
At work ( About transmission of characters in digital networks):
Several years ago I was asked by an Americian Colleague:
- How often do you in Norway use those special characters?
- Every time I write my name, I replied, besides, you are calling 3 out of our national (Even Danish) vocals for special characters. In America you do have only 6 vocals. We have 9.
- If you reduce the Numbers of Vocals in the English Alphabet with 1/3, let'e take the U and the A. OK?
- Tell me from which country you are calling?
It took some seconds, and then he replied:
- From S - a short pause. Then, I see what you mean?
After that, the letters Æ - AE, Ø - O-slash or OE and even next weeks letter became a standard
for IT-communications. (Not all companies, Internet providers and browsers and IT-producers still not do apply to this standard - 24 years later).
Above is the Norwgian and Danish typeset. 29 letters.
Here is someone you might have heard about, with the letter Ø or OE.
Ødipus. Oedipus.
Click on the book to learn more
Labels: ABC - Ø, ABC-OE, blog, Oedipus, toraa