Catchword: bouma shape

Filed under: English, Science, Technology, Jargon

Part of speech: n.

Quotation: I didn’t really invent the term “bouma”: it’s adapted from the term “Bouma-shape” used by Saenger in his “Space between words”; he in turn claims to have taken it from the work of Taylor & Taylor (although I myself have yet to find any such term used by them), and is based on the Dutch psychologist Herman Bouma who formalized empirical research into word-shape-based reading. Professor Bouma himself had never heard of the term (a friend of mine asked him). The only things I can take credit for is making it convenient (a single lc word), and spreading it.

Article or document title:
“Bouma” (URL)

Author:
Hrant H. Papazian

Article, document, publication, web site:
Typophile Forums

Date of publication:
Sept. 25, 2002

This cite belongs to a full entry for bouma shape.