Initial letters with an abbreviation dot are similar to numbers with an ordinal dot (some languages use 1., 2., 3., 4. where English has 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, e. g. in dates). The solution to distinguish them from list markers at the start of a line should be similar as well, especially for lists that interrupt a paragraph without a preceding blank line and for single-item lists, which together constitute an issue that blocks v1.0.
Since i. and i) would be even more ambiguous if Roman numerals were to be supported as ordinal list values, one could amend and restrict the valid syntax choices, e. g.:
| Type | Tight | Loose |
|---|---|---|
| numeric decimal, single-digit |
1., 1), (1.), (1), #1
|
1., 1), (1.), (1), #1
|
| numeric decimal, multiple-digits |
(12), #12
|
12., 12), (12.), (12), #12
|
| lowercase Roman numeral |
(i.), - i., * i., + i.
|
i., (i.), - i., * i., + i., - i, * i, + i
|
| uppercase Roman numeral | (I.) |
I., (I.)
|
| lowercase Latin, single-letter |
a), (a)
|
a), (a)
|
| uppercase Latin, single-letter |
A), (A)
|
A), (A)
|
| lowercase Latin, multiple-letters | — |
ab), (ab)
|
| uppercase Latin, multiple-letters | – |
AB), (AB)
|
| lowercase Greek, single-letter |
α., α), (α)
|
α., α), (α), - α, * α, + α
|