Knot Tying Notation, Dictionary
Peter Suber

Last revised July 28, 2004

Directions, lines, and planes

• F, A, L, R, U, D: Fore, Aft, Left, Right, Up, Down
• CW, CCW: Clockwise, Counter-clockwise
• FA, LF, UD: ForeAft, LeftRight, UpDown
• HP, VP, EP: HorizontalPlane, VerticalPlane, EdgePlane

Nouns for parts of the cord

• BT: Bight
• C, CS: Cord, CordSegment
• CR: Crossing
• E: End
• EY: Eye
• K: Knot
• LE: LinkEye
• LP: Loop
• RP, SP: RunningPart, StandingPart
• SD: Side
• ST: Site
• T: Turn
• u (lower-case): unit (one cord diameter)

Nouns for parts of the tyer's hands

• LF, RF: LefthandFinger, RighthandFinger
• We number the fingers on each hand starting the with the thumb as #1. Hence, LF.1 is the left thumb. LF.2 is the left forefinger. RF.5 is the right pinky, and so on.
• LH, RH: LeftHand, RightHand

Verbs

• Do: Do
• GP(x, y): Grip x with y
• MB(x): MakeBight with cord segment x
• ML(x): MakeLoop with cord segment x
• MT(x, y): MakeTurn with x around y in the direction indicated by the modifier on y
• MV(x): Move x in the direction, distance, manner indicated by modifiers on y (^..., push, ...^, pull)
• PT: Point
• RV(x, y): Reeve x through y
• TW(x): Twist x along its own axis in the direction indicated by the modifier on x

Descriptors

• BN(x, y, z): Between, x is between y and z
• CO(x, y): CrossOver, x crosses over y
• Directions: R(x, y), x lies to the right of y, etc.
• LG(x): Length of x is the number of units indicated by the modifier on x
• LN(x): Line, x lies on the line indicated in the modifier on x
• NM(x): Name, x has the name indicated after the "=" symbol
• NX(x, y): Next, x is next to y in the direction indicated in the modifier on y
• OL(x, y): Overlay, x overlays x
• PL(x, y): Parallel, x is parallel to y
• PN(x): Plane, x lies in the plane indicated by the modifier on x
• PT(x): Point, x points in the direction indicated by the modifier on x
• RV(x, y): Reeve (see verb)
• RS(x): Results, x results from the previous action
• TT(x): Tight, the knot or cord should have x degree of tightness (t, tt, ttt)

List of special symbols

*   operator introducing new stages
=   operator introducing names
.   operator introducing "which one" modifiers
:   operator introducing "how" modifiers
^   push-pull operator
-   from...to operator
®   until operator
~   negation operator
>   greater than operator
<   less than operator
\   symbol for "S" or right-handed loop
/   symbol for "Z" or left-handed loop
,   delimiter for list items (separating sentences within a stage and parameters within a cluster or sentence)
(...)  markers for beginning and end of parameter lists
[...]  markers for beginning and end of cluster lists

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The right arrow ("until" operator) uses the Symbol Font, which is installed by default on most but not all computers. See Alan Wood's guide to its symbols.