The title of this column contains three punctuation marks; an apostrophe, the comma and the quotation marks. The whole intent of the phrase has a completely different meaning if the comma was not used. Please read the title again but ignore the comma. Unless the speaker and his friend were cannibals, the statement gets misinterpreted.

Centuries ago, there were no punctuation marks with spaces between words. It was common practice to let those higher up on the social ladder to make the decision where the spaces go in preparation for a speech or presentation. Any punctuation mark that eventually was inserted had oratorical rather than grammatical function. Punctuation indicated the degree of pauses only to prepare the verbal pronouncement. There was no such thing as reading at first sight. During the Middle Ages classical text was under threat because people did not know how to punctuate them. Fearing a loss of any meaning of the word, scribes and scholars introduced the system of marking pauses. it was all about where the pauses would be placed. Initially they only used a system that contained dots. Dots were the first form of punctuation. Those responsible for preparing the oral speeches generally used anywhere from one to three dots. 

Eventually existing punctuation marks became more widespread and were used in printed text. In diplomatic correspondence scribes didn’t want to have any confusion that could lead to the message being misinterpreted. The written word was just as important as the spoken word. Written communications had to be controlled with clarity..

Brackets also known as parenthesis, first came into being in 1440 when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. The use of punctuation marks became very important to keep the written word as intended. Eventually authors began using punctuation marks to give their reader an indication of what the cadence and flow of the written word should sound like. 

For example, Hemingway used many types of punctuation that had the effect of chopping up his sentences and paragraphs into individual parcels. The opposite effect can be seen in James Joyce’s novel “Ulysses. “At the end of that novel Molly Bloom pours out her feelings with unpunctuated strings of yes yes yes yes.

Punctuation marks evolved with the development of written language with a salute to David Letterman here is my top five list of punctuation marks and their history.

PERIOD (.) Dating back to ancient Greece the period was used to indicate the pauses of speech. But, it looked different than it does now. They used a system of dots with varying heights signifying different lengths of pauses, in our modern era it’s just one dot.

COMMA (,) The comma was another punctuation gift from the Greeks. It is used to indicate a short pause in a sentence. 

QUESTION MARK (?) Originally the mark consisted of a tilde placed above a dot. Eventually it became the curve and dot that we are familiar with.

COLON ( : ) first use in Latin and Greek texts it indicates the pause longer than a comma but shorter than the period; It’s cousin, the semicolon ( ; ) joins together two related but independent clauses. I hope my readers noted that I used the semicolon in this section.

 QUOTATION MARKS (“ “) These marks became standard use by authors to indicate speech in their written works

With all the advances in cell phone technology companies are experimenting with newer punctuation marks. The younger generation, who were introduced to texting at an early age, developed the technique of using fingers on both hands to write at breakneck speed. People of my age, for the most part, text using one index finger on their dominant hand while the other hand holds the cell phone. So, if I am texting to win a prize in a radio contest…Slow and steady loses the race!

Hudson Cooper is a resident of Sullivan County, a writer, comedian and actor.