, 1879-02-08

Punctuation.

purr'1g',0n v1s ",id,r'iy invented
sni Improved rpun io meet thr ~ .rJ-
'ng requirements ui q Irst p"gr -,iug
r.Vi.i4tri"u To- tCrTmlnr 10 Whom
~r vrrr frs' indebted frr lhi, c,ny.r
;rnt iunrvalion. Lrcts.i'lr> rs.r.r
INTO the h starry II the past. 'N'rn'hHg
-ye' {" the p r'n.'s of thr nncirut lirS
snd hrrors 81 Gg,1c,'. ulHn sncin! ,Xrs-
,rs tau rin' with the mnrai- 1T The uro
pie; when wan'nn ir>'s we're the hi n
nf literary ,Nrrll,nrr. AMI - hrn be- wln
could give hi I'll tu nrw oppression al
Vulgsi drnllrry lFr-mr the IHt nf ih"
person wns the AlrNandrian grhmma-
-isn Aristnphanrs. born about Ii4 Is C..
sn'l who die about $50 d. e. Shtrrly
satir'ca', with the requisite Hmnunt at
casrs" wit, an'l p"sN sing acute phiicpl
conception, he arose ln gre / p'lu ,riiy
among the people at his day What
;r''Hk ni mini allowed him in mnnrniH-
-ily abandon his successful carrr nf
Tibald merry making an'' apply him-rIt
studi"usly to experimenting in the more
philosophical mrmpation or improving
tile national tbngur is not exactly easy
0i de,rrminatirn. But hr dill SO. and a.
him is accredited tLr first nttrmpt 1T
system"tizrd punctuation. Al first il
Gomprlse'i only one point. used in three
connections; then as u strrke f,rnrd in
several ways.
His Idrns were adopted nni improvrr
upon Ivy succeeding grammnrians, hut
by reason 1T the turbulent state of the
country. the numerous wars anil inva
si"ns tn It were continually in progress.
amt various adverse circumstances, il
bccainr u lost idea. and during the time
vt Chnrlrmagnc WAS almost entirely for
gotten. B, his direction Warmlrir,l and
Alumic were employed to restore it. and
they ma lr sight improvements, add NJ
new sigis and marks. Even then 10
established rules for the use ot these
marks hal b en- adopted, and for their
Intelligent application much Il pended
upon the ingenuity OF the writer.
II WIS MT until after the invention If
printing, and about the beginning oi the
sixteenth century. thu: any well defined
course governing the use of punctuation
marks was established. The Maputii
the learned printers nt Venice. r,roynz-
ing the necessity tor some such ruls, IN
creased the number nf the signs nm, fix
cd regular scheme for their relative
application. These. with rare mod fl "A
tinps. f''nnd general favor and form. d
the foundation t'r our present system
To them m"re than to am others is
due the credit inr Grst tringinr into
play and inculcning in the minds If the
masses The humorous advantages TO br
derived from regularity and pra per in
t"natinn ct written ,xrr. ssinn of
thought. Mere nolern grammmria,s
ever eager t. rstahl 81, ns iar!s pet i,iens
of their own. have introduced mnnv
amendments; hut of these lew have
shown my worth or have Iern added 10
the riuinnl ruI, w ilr originating
nmong the Greeks. runctuation. even in
it1 primitive state, WAS almost un-
known 10 III" G.uks and their assi,linus
imiiainrs, the Romans,
TIL" nearest approsch ~ it was nun.
b"r at points confined tn indicating the
delivery or pronunciation nf words, SIM
ilnr IN those fnund N Tie Inmuraucs of
the E,si. TIE frS; printed honks Ia,e
only arhitr ~ marks here aud there. the
pausrs hruG indicated hv the mattcr
being divided into p"r.te Iiur- ur par
ngraphs. ~ 10 wisr ,,emhhlg puncrnn-
rtlon. J! ,ur "Irli nf preserved
prchmr s"l the nncicnis, including
Armrn'ra. ayrirn. Syrinn, llrrmn and
C1pIlr rr.r ipt.. is nnt'crd an entire
Eb.rnrc 1923 t, ut puncruiioa. slow
ing GO. l',rcamd 'or al! distinction
d mcw."... 70 rj.d or words.
IT, r.. a'r ot rntiurd Ignorance