a town of the Austrian empire, capital of a circle in Galicia, in a deep valley, 94 miles W. by N. of Lemberg. It has a large castle, a school, linen factories, and some trade in linen. About half of the inhabitants are Jews; and many are employed in making jewellery of a sort of false gold, with or without precious stones. This is sold not only at home, but in other countries, especially in Wallachia. Pop. 6700. S, the nineteenth letter and chief sibilant of the English alphabet. The sound of it is formed by forcing the breath through a narrow passage between the palate and the tongue elevated near it, together with a motion of the lower jaw and teeth, towards the upper jaw. Its sound, however, varies being strong in some words, as this, thus, and soft in words which have a final e, as muse, wise (pronounced z). It is generally doubled at the end of words, by which they become hard and harsh, as in kiss, loss.
In some words it is silent, as isle, island, viscount. It is subject to numerous interchanges, which are observable in most languages. The following are the best known:—S interchanges with d, th, t, z, sh, c, g, h, ks, with g, n, and r. The letter S is frequently dropped, of which we have numerous examples in the history of the French language.
In abbreviation, S. stands for societas or soccus; as R.S.S. for regia societatis soccus, fellow of the royal society. In medicinal prescriptions, S.A. signifies secundum artem, according to the rules of art. And in the notes of the ancients, S. stands for Sextus; S.P. for Spurius; S.C. for senatus consultum; S.P.Q.R. for senatus populique Romanus; S.S.S. for stratum superstratum, one layer above another alternately; S.V.B.E.E.Q.V. for si vales bene est, ego quoque valeo, a form used in Cicero's time in the beginning of letters. (See Abbreviations.) Used as a numeral, S. anciently denoted seven; in the Italian music, S. signifies solo; and in books of navigation, S. stands for south, S.E. for south-east, S.W. for south-west, S.S.E. for south-south-east, S.S.W. for south-south-west.