Method for Encoding a Symbol, Method for Decoding a Symbol, Method for Transmitting a Symbol from a Transmitter to a Receiver, Encoder, Decoder and System for Transmitting a Symbol from a Transmitter to a Receiver

In a method for encoding a symbol it is determined whether the symbol can be encoded by a codeword of a first code- book. In case this is true, the appropriate codeword for the symbol is selected from the first codebook. Otherwise, a codeword is selected from the first codebook indicating that the symbol cannot be encoded by a codeword of the first codebook and the symbol is split into a plurality of first sub-symbols and for at least one of the first sub- symbols a codeword is selected from a second codebook. Also a corresponding method for decoding is described.