The other day I was watching a TV show (I’ve forgotten just
which one now) and in a throwaway line, someone mentioned the Hedera
punctuation mark. Well, I’d never heard of it before so naturally I had to look
it up. (First I had to figure out how to spell it, which is a whole ‘nother
story).
Anyway, what I discovered was a whole world of unusual punctuation marks I’d never heard of before. So in case any of the rest of you are similarly curious, I thought I’d share what I found with you.
Anyway, what I discovered was a whole world of unusual punctuation marks I’d never heard of before. So in case any of the rest of you are similarly curious, I thought I’d share what I found with you.
Acclamation Point
The acclamation point is a fun bit of punctuation that just
looks happy and excited. Its purpose is to be used to indicate an exuberant welcome
or an enthusiastic sense of goodwill.
Asterism
Also used in astronomy to indicate a group of stars, in
punctuation it’s a nearly obsolete symbol used to indicate scene or other
breaks in the text of a work. Nowadays three asterisks in a single line or
another more simplified symbol performs this function.
Authority Point
As the name suggests, this punctuation mark indicates that
the writer is speaking from a position of expertise or authority on the subject
and that the statement or advice should be taken seriously.
Certitude Point
Similar to the Authority Point in both looks and meaning,
the Certitude Point indicates the writer is absolutely certain of the facts
presented but does not speak as an expert in the field.
Doubt Point
On the other end of the spectrum from the Authority Point
and Certitude Point, the interesting-looking Doubt Point indicates the writer
is skeptical of the statement.
Hedera
This is the one that started me on this quest. I had seen
this one before, usually when perusing webdings, but I didn’t know what it was
called or what it signified. The hedera is also called the fleuron and
apparently dates back to old Greek and Latin texts. It was used to indicate the
break between paragraphs back in the day before the custom of starting paragraphs
on a new line came into common usage. These days it is used strictly as a
decorative element.
Interpunct
This is a nearly obsolete bit of punctuation. In ancient
times this vertically-centered dot was used to indicate a pause in the interior
of sentences and sometimes to separate compound words. It survives today in dictionaries to show the
break between syllables in a word. It’s also used in mathematics to indicate
the multiplication function.
Interrobang
This is another fun punctuation mark, one I could actually
see myself using. The interrobang is for when you ask a question excitedly, or to
express unbelief and surprise at the same time.
Irony Point
This punctuation mark actually precedes a bit of text to
indicate that in the following passage there may be a crafty second
layer of meaning. Surprisingly, this one has been around since 1841.
Love Point.
As the shape suggests, this one is used to signify
affection or amorous subtext. This one is relatively new, appearing in
1966.
Percontation Point
This backwards-question-mark-looking bit of punctuation is intended
to be used to indicate the question is rhetorical. Who knew
This one I’ve definitely seen before, and I’m sure most of
you have too. And I also knew its function. But I never knew it had a name
other than “paragraph mark”. Of course this is the symbol used to indicate the
end of a paragraph.
Question Comma and Exclamation Comma
These fun bits of punctuation can be used when you want to
express curiosity or excitement mid-sentence. They were invented in Canada in
the early 1990s.
So there you have it, a bakers dozen of fun and unusual
punctuation marks.
How many of these did you already know? Which struck you as most interesting? Are
there any others you’d like to throw in the mix?
Leave a comment to get in on the drawing for a copy of any
book in my backlist, including an advanced copy of my upcoming re-release of Home
For Thanksgiving which is now included in a Love Inspired Classic 2-in-1.
HOME FOR THANKSGIVING
All that stands between Ruby Anne Tuggle and a fresh start
is an escort to Tyler , Texas, but no one in her home town is willing to accompany her and she's feeling desperate.
Rancher Griff Lassiter is just passing through town, but he's too kind to refuse her plea. He's also too wary of being hurt
again to offer anything but protection on the journey.
Then a fever forces a change of plans along the way. Can this unexpected detour provide them with a chance to
find the place they both belong...
