There's more to a sentence than just words, there are those funny looking marks that are required every now and then to make a sentence make sense. They're called punctuation marks, and it turns out are taken for granted 99% of the time.
But where did they come from?
The Full Stop, Where It All Started
Full stops or periods, one of the oldest punctuation marks, can be traced back to ancient Greece. These tiny markings were commonly used by Aristotle and Plato to indicate pauses in speech. It wouldn't be until the Middle Ages when full stops would be used to finish a sentence.
During the Middle Ages, authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer started using the full stop uniformly, allowing the period to progress into its modern form. This simple little symbol enables writers to finish a sentence and separate their thoughts.
The Comma, The Right Kind of Pause
Used by Greek scholar Artistophanes of Byzantinium, allowing readers to pause in the right place when reading out loud. Aristophanes worked off a simple system of pauses, the comma was one of them This little curly mark gave meaning and structure to an otherwise generic sentence.
The comma would go on to be used to separate phrases within a sentence, and would be fully developed by the time the Renaissance period came alone. Authors such as Shakespeare and Milton would use it unsparingly. It wasn't until punctuation rules started in the 18th century that it would become standardised for all.
The Question Mark or Mark of Inquiry
Believed to have to come from the Latin word "quaestio," meaning question, this little mark conveys inquiry and curiosity. "Qo" was written by ancient scribes as an abbreviation, and how the word "question" would start being used. This gradually evolved into the symbol we know today.
By the 8th century a cleric by the name of Alcuin of York, a scholar in the court of Charlemagne, solidified its use at the end of a sentence for readers to understand what they were reading.
The Exclamation Mark, The Mark of Surprise
Exclamation marks can be found as far back as the 15th century where it was to signify emphasis in a sentence. Thought to have originated from the Latin word "io," it was a mark used to express joy.
More commonly used during the 18th century in English literature to communicate emotion. Mostly used by Edgar Allen Poe and Charlotte Brontë, it quickly became a tool for all writers.
The Dash, or Em Dash, The Mark of Interruption
Usually used to express a dramatic break in thought, can be traced as far back as the 16th century. When early printers started using marks to give clarity, break up sentences.
What makes the dash stand out amongst all other kinds of punctuation is its ability to suddenly change thought, or create a sense of anticipation in what would seem to be an otherwise mundane sentence.
The Colon's, Semicolon and Colon, The Marks for Explanation
Both the semicolon and colon have their own particular part to play in writing. Created by Aldus Manutius, and used to introduce new information for an idea. It would help writers to elaborate their thoughts in a clear and orderly fashion without confusing the reader.
Powerful Tools for Writers Today
These clear little marks allow readers to understand the tone, while creating a sense of rhythm to text.
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