20 Interesting Punctuation Mark Facts

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published September 23, 2025

The interrobang (‽) is a mix between a question mark and an exclamation point. Invented in 1962, it was meant to show disbelief and shock, but it never became very popular._[4]
The ampersand (&) is older than the word "and" in English. The word and its symbol originated from the Latin word et, meaning "and."_[4]
The octothorp (#) dates back to the 19th century. It most likely comes from the abbreviation "lb," which sometimes included a horizontal line across the letters. It has evolved into the modern-day hashtag. On European phones, the # is often referred to as "hash" key, while in America, it is known as the "pound" key._[4]

Teens, however, often interpret a period as abrupt or rude

Originally, periods were used to indicate breathing pauses, not breaks in sentences._[4]
Because texts were historically read aloud, early punctuation marks were used to mark pauses, tone changes, and rhythm, much like musical notations at the time._[5]
The exclamation point used to be called punctus admirativus, or "admiration point." Like today, it was used to express emphasis and surprise._[9]
The word "ellipsis" is from the Greek word elleipein, meaning to fall short or leave behind. Originally it was a grammatical term indicating a grammatical commission. It evolved into a punctuation mark in the 16th and 17th centuries._[10]
In 2018, a group of Maine truck drivers won a court case worth $5 million because of a missing comma._[8]
The word "pilcrow" (¶) is from the Old French pelegraphe, which is related to the Greek and Latin terms for paragraph. In the Middle Ages, scribes marked new sections with a letter "C" for capitulum ("little head") or "chapter," and the stylized C became more decorated until it looked like the modern pilcrow._[7]

A snark mark is akin to an eye-roll emoji

Proposed in 2007, the "snark mark" is a period followed by a tilde (.~). It indicates irony or sarcasm._[6]
An asterism (⁂) is a group of three asterisks in a horizontal or triangle formation. An asterism is a dramatic way to indicate that an upcoming passage or groups of text are being divided. The asterism is not popular, though it can be found in the 1922 edition of James Joyce's Ulysses._[2]
The dagger (†) and the double dagger (‡) are often used in footnotes. In older texts, they marked death rates, and, originally, they were Christian references in religious texts._[2]
An ellipsis is not just three periods typed in a row; it is a single character with spacing rules._[4]

The history of punctation marks is a history of human thought

Before spaces were invented in text, ancient Roman scribes would use an interpunct (·) to separate words. It is still used in math and chemistry as a multiplication or compound separator._[7]
The manicule (☛), or pointing hand or fist, dates back to at least the 12th century. Scribes used it to emphasize important text, and some scribes loved to decorate and embellish them. Ben Franklin, John Locke, and Erasmus all used manicules in their notes._[12]
The semicolon is the only punctuation mark that represents a mental health issue. Project Semicolon uses it as a metaphor for "a pause" — when someone chooses to continue living._[1]
The slash ( / ) was originally called a virgule, which is Latin for "little twig." It was used to mark brief pauses in poetry in medieval manuscripts._[13]
The way teenagers use punctuation often is more about social belonging, tone, and style rather than following grammar rules._[3]
The word "punctuation" is from the Latin punctus, meaning "to prick, pierce," from the PIE root *peuk-, meaning "to prick."_[11]
The hedera (❦) is a decorative punctation mark used in early Latin and Greek texts to signify breaks between paragraphs. The mark is a stylized ivy leaf or a floral heart, and the term comes from the Latin word for ivy._[4]