On the Mark
A History of Punctuation from Ancient Egypt to the Emoticon
Why does this sentence start with a capital letter? Why is this one broken up - and why does it end in a question mark? Does anyone really know what semicolons are for; why are italics italicised, and why do words have spaces between them? Punctuation turns written words into meaningful language, inflecting them with nuance and tone: it can be the difference between a nice surprise! And a nasty ending... Florence Hazrat's ground-breaking history of punctuation stretches from the ancient past to into the digital realms of today, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the rise of the emoji, the bi...
Why does this sentence start with a capital letter? Why is this one broken up - and why does it end in a question mark? Does anyone really know what semicolons are for; why are italics italicised, and why do words have spaces between them? Punctuation turns written words into meaningful language, inflecting them with nuance and tone: it can be the difference between a nice surprise! And a nasty ending... Florence Hazrat's ground-breaking history of punctuation stretches from the ancient past to into the digital realms of today, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the rise of the emoji, the birth of the printing press to the death of the Oxford Comma. In this definitive biography of the marks that give voice to our written words, and the characters that have shaped their usage, Hazrat reveals their richly storied past and how punctuation is evolving and more important than ever as we move from the printed page to the digital screen. A deeply researched treasure trove that wears its knowledge lightly, On the Mark is a fascinating odyssey through time and place for language lovers everywhere.
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