Punctuation
/ˌpʌŋk.tʃuˈeɪ.ʃən/noun
The marks used in writing to separate sentences and clarify meaning.
Did you know?Punctuation ultimately comes from Latin punctum, “a point” or “prick,” and the same root also gave us words for stabbing, pinning, and even acupuncture-like “points.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peuk-
“to prick, pierce, or make a point”
Latin
Latin
punctum
“a point; a prick or small mark”
Late Latin
Latin
punctuatio
“the act of marking with points”
Old French
Old French
ponctuacion
“the action of marking or dividing text with points”
Middle English
English
punctuacioun
“the use of points in writing”
Modern English
English
punctuation
“the system of symbols used to separate and clarify written language”