serif

Meaning

Noun

A short line added to the end of a stroke in traditional typefaces, such as Times New Roman.

Adj

Of a typeface, provided with serifs.

Opposite of

sans serif

Synonyms

seriph

foundation wall

Translations

empattement

schreef

serifa

Serife

grazia

sérif

Text

Serif(e)

fonament

Schraffe

Serif

-n

ελαφρή γραμμή

Text zu einer Rolle

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈsɛɹɪf/

Etymology

Cognate with Italian: sgraffiare

Cognate with German: Schraffe

In summary

From earlier ceriph, ceref, of obscure derivation. There are two (not directly interrelated) candidates for a possible Dutch origin: 1.) the noun schreef (“stroke”, now also “serif” as a semantic loan), related with schrapen (“to scrape”); and 2.) the verb schrafferen (“to provide with horizontal lines, to shade”), from Italian sgraffiare. For the latter, compare German Schraffe (“serif”), although this again may be a semantic loan based on the English word rather than original to it. Alternatively, from Late Latin cerificus (“waxen”), from Latin cera (“wax”), after the ruled lines used in writing on wax tablets.