En
/ɛn/noun
A typographic unit traditionally equal to half the width of an em, also used in the name en dash.
Did you know?The printing term en comes from the name of the letter N, just as em comes from M; traditionally, an en measured half the width of an em.
Etymological Timeline
c. 1050 BCE
Phoenician
𐤍 (nun)
“The letter associated with a fish symbol; ancestor of later N-like letters.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
νῦ (nu)
“The name of the Greek letter Ν/ν, derived from the Phoenician letter.”
Classical Latin
Latin
en
“The spoken name of the letter N.”
Old French
Old French
en
“The name of the letter N, inherited from Latin usage.”
15th–16th Century
English
en
“A printer’s unit based on the width of the letter N, later standardized as half an em.”
Modern English
English
en
“A typographic unit equal to half an em, especially familiar from the term en dash.”