* syntax.c (Fskip_syntax_backward): Doc clarification.

Fixes: debbugs:15115

2 files changed, 4 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 25cc486e1bc..7d12cdb5ffc 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 2014-02-08  Lars Ingebrigtsen  <larsi@gnus.org>
 
+        * syntax.c (Fskip_syntax_backward): Doc clarification (bug#15115).
+
         * minibuf.c (Fread_string): Doc clarification (bug#15422).
 
         * buffer.c (Fmake_overlay): Doc clarification (bug#15489).
diff --git a/src/syntax.c b/src/syntax.c
index 12575bfa3f7..f2451332b19 100644
--- a/src/syntax.c
+++ b/src/syntax.c
@@ -1532,7 +1532,8 @@ DEFUN ("skip-syntax-backward", Fskip_syntax_backward, Sskip_syntax_backward, 1,
 SYNTAX is a string of syntax code characters.
 Stop on reaching a char whose syntax is not in SYNTAX, or at position LIM.
 If SYNTAX starts with ^, skip characters whose syntax is NOT in SYNTAX.
-This function returns the distance traveled, either zero or negative.  */)
+This function returns either zero or a negative number, and the absolute value
+of this is the distance traveled.  */)
   (Lisp_Object syntax, Lisp_Object lim)
 {
   return skip_syntaxes (0, syntax, lim);