BURPing with a Diæresis Event Cache

That’s right, those two dots above the ‘e’ are called a dieresis, not an umlaut. An umlaut is a diacritical mark which alters the sound of the underlying vowel and often changes the meaning of the word (especially in German), whereas a dieresis, derived from the Greek word meaning ‘division’, is placed over a vowel to indicate that it is sounded separately, as in naïve and coöperate. (And Zoë.) While umlauts are essential to the pronunciation and meaning of words, diereses are not, and many modern style guides consider them obsolete (much like the archaic spelling of dieresis with an ‘æ’ ligature). For an in-depth discussion of this and other fascinating diacritical markings, join us for this, the twenty-first in a series of monthly geocaching gatherings in Baltimore County, where we will delve into the mystery surrounding Zoë and her decision to include the dieresis but omit the apostrophe. What the deuce‽ (That was an interrobang, by the way.) All are welcome, even the punctuationally challenged. (I’m looking at you, Zoë!) There will be a logbook to sign, trackables to discover, shiny coin-shaped items to trade, and prizes to win in a raffle. Ample free parking is available, and the restaurant is wheelchair-accessible and kid-friendly.