-.\" Begins a list composed of one or more list entries. A list entry is
-.\" specified by the
-.\" .Sx \&It
-.\" macro, which consists of a head and optional body. By default, a list
-.\" is preceded by a blank line. A list must specify one of the following
-.\" list types:
-.\" .Bl -tag -width 12n
-.\" .It Fl bullet
-.\" A list offset by a bullet. The head of list entries must be empty.
-.\" List entry bodies are justified after the bullet.
-.\" .It Fl column
-.\" A columnated list. The number of columns is specified as arguments to
-.\" the
-.\" .Sx \&Bl
-.\" macro (the deprecated form of following the invocation of
-.\" .Fl column
-.\" is also accepted). Arguments dictate the width of columns specified in
-.\" list entries. List entry bodies must be left empty. Columns specified
-.\" in the list entry head are justified to their position in the sequence
-.\" of columns.
-.\" .It Fl dash
-.\" A list offset by a dash (hyphen). The head of list entries must be
-.\" empty. List entry bodies are justified past the dash.
-.\" .It Fl diag
-.\" Like
-.\" .Fl inset
-.\" lists, but with additional formatting to the head.
-.\" .It Fl enum
-.\" A list offset by a number indicating list entry position. The head of
-.\" list entries must be empty. List entry bodies are justified past the
-.\" enumeration.
-.\" .It Fl hang
-.\" Like
-.\" .Fl tag ,
-.\" but instead of list bodies justifying to the head on the first line,
-.\" they trail the head text.
-.\" .It Fl hyphen
-.\" Synonym for
-.\" .Fl dash .
-.\" .It Fl inset
-.\" Like
-.\" .Fl tag ,
-.\" but list entry bodies aren't justified.
-.\" .It Fl item
-.\" An un-justified list. This produces blocks of text.
-.\" .It Fl ohang
-.\" List bodies are placed on the line following the head.
-.\" .It Fl tag
-.\" A list offset by list entry heads. List entry bodies are justified
-.\" after the head.
-.\" .El
-.\" .Pp
-.\" More...
-.\" .
+Begin a list.
+Lists consist of items started by the
+.Sx \&It
+macro, containing a head or a body or both.
+The list syntax is as follows:
+.Bd -ragged -offset indent
+.Pf \. Sx \&Bl
+.Fl Ns Ar type
+.Op Fl width Ar val
+.Op Fl offset Ar val
+.Op Fl compact
+.Op HEAD ...
+.Ed
+.Pp
+The list
+.Ar type
+is mandatory and must be specified first.
+The
+.Fl width
+and
+.Fl offset
+arguments accept
+.Sx Scaling Widths
+or use the length of the given string.
+The
+.Fl offset
+is a global indentation for the whole list, affecting both item heads
+and bodies.
+For those list types supporting it, the
+.Fl width
+argument requests an additional indentation of item bodies,
+to be added to the
+.Fl offset .
+Unless the
+.Fl compact
+argument is specified, list entries are separated by vertical space.
+.Pp
+A list must specify one of the following list types:
+.Bl -tag -width 12n -offset indent
+.It Fl bullet
+No item heads can be specified, but a bullet will be printed at the head
+of each item.
+Item bodies start on the same output line as the bullet
+and are indented according to the
+.Fl width
+argument.
+.It Fl column
+A columnated list.
+The
+.Fl width
+argument has no effect; instead, each argument specifies the width
+of one column, using either the
+.Sx Scaling Widths
+syntax or the string length of the argument.
+If the first line of the body of a
+.Fl column
+list is not an
+.Sx \&It
+macro line,
+.Sx \&It
+contexts spanning one input line each are implied until an
+.Sx \&It
+macro line is encountered, at which point items start being interpreted as
+described in the
+.Sx \&It
+documentation.
+.It Fl dash
+Like
+.Fl bullet ,
+except that dashes are used in place of bullets.
+.It Fl diag
+Like
+.Fl inset ,
+except that item heads are not parsed for macro invocations.
+.\" but with additional formatting to the head.
+.It Fl enum
+A numbered list.
+Formatted like
+.Fl bullet ,
+except that cardinal numbers are used in place of bullets,
+starting at 1.
+.It Fl hang
+Like
+.Fl tag ,
+except that the first lines of item bodies are not indented, but follow
+the item heads like in
+.Fl inset
+lists.
+.It Fl hyphen
+Synonym for
+.Fl dash .
+.It Fl inset
+Item bodies follow items heads on the same line, using normal inter-word
+spacing.
+Bodies are not indented, and the
+.Fl width
+argument is ignored.
+.It Fl item
+No item heads can be specified, and none are printed.
+Bodies are not indented, and the
+.Fl width
+argument is ignored.
+.It Fl ohang
+Item bodies start on the line following item heads and are not indented.
+The
+.Fl width
+argument is ignored.
+.It Fl tag
+Item bodies are indented according to the
+.Fl width
+argument.
+When an item head fits inside the indentation, the item body follows
+this head on the same output line.
+Otherwise, the body starts on the output line following the head.
+.El
+.Pp
+See also
+.Sx \&El
+and
+.Sx \&It .