Aldus Manutius.
Aldus Manutius (also known as Aldo Manuzio) was a 15th-century Italian printer who introduced the comma as we know it, as a way to separate things. The word comma comes from the Greek word koptein, which means “to cut off.”
How did the comma get its name?
The word comma comes from the Greek κόμμα (kómma), which originally meant a cut-off piece, specifically in grammar, a short clause. A comma-shaped mark is used as a diacritic in several writing systems and is considered distinct from the cedilla.
Who invented serial comma?
“In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last.” This has been recommended in The Elements of Style since the first edition by Strunk in 1918.
What year was the comma invented?
The comma came from the Greek ‘κόμμα’ or ‘komma’. The word comma literally meant ‘to cut off’, coming from the Greek word koptein. It was invented in the third century (B.C.) by Aristophanes of Byzantium along with the rest of a system of dots used to show pauses in speech.
Why is the Oxford comma so called?
The Oxford comma is the final comma that comes before the conjunction in a list of three or more items. Its name comes from the Oxford University Press (OUP), where for over a century it has been standard in the Oxford Style Manual.
How old is the comma?
Aldus Manutius (also known as Aldo Manuzio) was a 15th-century Italian printer who introduced the comma as we know it, as a way to separate things. The word comma comes from the Greek word koptein, which means “to cut off.”
What do the British call a comma?
Serial/Oxford Comma
The Serial/Oxford Comma
The serial comma (also known as the “Oxford comma” in the UK) is a comma placed before the last item in a list of three or more things.
Do schools teach Oxford comma?
You may even know the Oxford Comma as the Harvard or Serial Comma. In primary schools today, students are taught how to use the Oxford comma but aren’t familiar with the name. The use of the Oxford Comma is typically taught on the second-grade level.
Why don’t people use the Oxford comma?
Why don’t they use it? Many opponents of the Oxford comma claim that it makes a piece of writing sound more pretentious and stuffy, and that it can make things seem cluttered and redundant. Many magazine publishers renounce its use as well, because sentences loaded with commas take up valuable page space.
Is the Oxford comma?
The Oxford comma is the comma placed before the conjunction at the end of a list of things. For example, in “the flag was red, white, and blue”, the Oxford comma would be the one appearing before “and”. Proponents of the Oxford comma say it’s necessary for removing ambiguity in sentences.
What is the oldest punctuation?
The oldest known document using punctuation is the Mesha Stele (9th century BC). This employs points between the words and horizontal strokes between the sense section as punctuation.
Should 2000 have a comma?
When writing a four-digit numeral in digits (other than a date), American writers never use a comma, but British writers usually do. Hence Americans write 2000 years and 3700 people, while Britons often write 2,000 years and 3,700 people.
Are there commas in Russian?
Why don t lawyers use the Oxford comma?
Use of the Oxford comma is mostly a matter of preference and varies by region and profession. Lawyers should use the Oxford comma to help avoid ambiguity. Three ambiguities may arise without this comma: Whether the two final items in a list are one combined element or separate.
Who got rid of the Oxford comma?
(3) Perishable foods. So now we get to replace Oxford comma pedantry with semicolon pedantry. The change, sponsored by Senator Andre Cushing, was among dozens of legislative tweaks signed by the governor in June.
Why is the Oxford comma so controversial?
“This practice is controversial and is known as the serial comma or Oxford comma, because it is part of the house style of Oxford University Press.” The important consideration is whether or not using an Oxford comma will remove ambiguity from a list, or add ambiguity. Language should make communication easier.
Do I need a comma for 5000?
In English, we use commas to separate numbers greater than 999. We use a comma every third digit from the right. More than 50,000 people turned up to protest.
Who invented the full stop?
Aristophanes of Byzantium
The full stop symbol derives from the Greek punctuation introduced by Aristophanes of Byzantium in the 3rd century BCE. In his system, there were a series of dots whose placement determined their meaning.
What are the 4 types of commas?
There are four types of comma: the listing comma, the joining comma, the gapping comma and bracketing commas.
Should it be us or us?
US and U.S.
Both of these abbreviations can be correct. The difference between them (whether to use periods or not) is just a matter of style. The Associated Press Stylebook prefers the abbreviation U.S. with periods. However, the Chicago Manual of Style prefers US without periods.
What do Brits call a period?
The period (known as a full stop in British English) is probably the simplest of the punctuation marks to use. You use it like a knife to cut the sentences to the required length.