Dinkus
In typography, a dinkus is a typographic device or convention that typically consists of three spaced asterisks or bullet symbols in a horizontal row, e.g. ∗∗∗ or ••• . The device has a variety of uses, and it usually denotes an intentional omission or a logical "break" of varying degree in a written work. This latter use is similar to a subsection, and it indicates that the subsequent text should be re-contextualized. Such a dinkus typically appears centrally aligned on a line of its own with vertical spacing before and after the device. The dinkus has been in use in various forms since. Historically, the dinkus was often represented as an asterism,, though this has fallen out of favor and is now nearly obsolete.
Etymology
The word was coined by an artist on the Australian periodical The Bulletin in the 1920s and is derived from the word dinky.Usage
The dinkus is used for various purposes, but many of them are related to an intentional break in the flow of the text.Subsection break
A dinkus can be used to accentuate a break between subsections of a single section. A dinkus dividing a larger section is intended is to maintain a sense of continuity within the overall chapter or section while changing elements of the setting or timeline. For instance, to introduce a flashback or other scene change, a dinkus can help denote the change within the overall theme of the chapter; in that case, it can be preferable to the initiation of a new chapter. This technique is used especially in literary fiction.Intentionally omitted information
Many applications of the dinkus, including those that were common historically, have indicated intentional omission of information. Such a dinkus informs the reader that the information has been omitted. It can also mean "untitled" or that the author or title was withheld. This is evident, for example, in some editions of Album for the Young by composer Robert Schumann.A dinkus can also be used in any context as a simple means of abbreviation of any text. The dinkus is used specifically in this capacity within the sphere of lawmaking, particularly for city ordinances. When used in legal text, the dinkus indicates an abbreviation within amendments to code while not implying the repeal of the omitted sections.
Ornamentation
Newspapers, magazines, and other works can use dinkuses as simple ornamentation, for solely aesthetic reasons. A primarily aesthetic dinkus often takes the form of a fleuron, e.g., ❧ or a dingbat.Poetic symbolism
In some cases, a dinkus has been employed in poetry to convey non-verbal meaning. This is exemplified in the poem Thresholes by Lara Mimosa Montes, which frequently uses a circular dinkus, ○ , as a form of "punctuation at the level of the full text, rather than the phrase or the sentence".Variations
Many dinkuses are composed partially or entirely of asterisks. Other symbols include a series of dots, fleurons, asterisms, or small drawings. Esperanto Braille punctuation commonly uses a series of colons,, as a dinkus.Other uses of the term "dinkus"
Among older Hungarian Americans and Polish Americans, dinkus is an archaic term for Easter Monday.In Australian English, particularly in the news media, the word "dinkus" refers to a small photograph of the author of a news article. Outside Australia, this is often referred to as a headshot.