Shortform
“such” in braille
Written s-c-h — 4 letters cut to 3 letters of abbreviation, then written in 2 cells. That is 2 cells saved every time the word appears.
dots 2-3-4, then dots 1-6
Unicode ⠎⠡ — 4 letters in 2 cells
How to recognise it
s-ch, where the ch is one cell. Beyond an added s it takes no endings — “suchness” is spelled out — which sets it apart from “much”, built the same way and carrying two more, -ly and -ness.
Two steps, not one
Abbreviated in letters first, then written in cells. “such” loses 1 letter — u — to become sch. Then it contracts again: ch is a single cell, which is how 3 letters of abbreviation fit into 2 cells.
| Stage | What it is | Cells |
|---|---|---|
| Spelled out | such | 4 cells |
| Abbreviated | sch | 3 letters |
| Written | 2 cells |
Only an added s keeps it
None of the 5 English words that begin with “such” keeps this shortform: the reference spells every one out. These 2 cells write the bare word, and with an s added they still stand: “suchs” is s-c-h-s, because a shortform keeps its cells when s is added (Rules of Unified English Braille 10.9.5). “good” is the opposite case — it carries seven different endings.
Words that only look like it
Four words begin with these letters and none of them takes the shortform. Each begins with the same letters and is written out in full.
| Word | In braille | Cells |
|---|---|---|
| suchness | 5 cells | |
| suchwise | 7 cells | |
| suchnesses | 7 cells |
What these 2 cells mean elsewhere
Every cell here has other jobs, which is where misreadings come from:
| Cell | Dots | What it is elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| 2-3-4 | the letter s; the word “so” standing alone | |
| 1-6 | the letters ch inside a word, and the word “child” alone |
Check your own text
The translator writes “such” with Grade 2 selected, and the contractions page has all seventy-five.
“such” in braille as an image
The word as it is actually written: sch in 2 cells, not 4 letters.
