05-07-2009, 09:52 PM
Hi,
On a side note, I saw a show on TV some time ago, either on the History Channel or on one of the educational channels about the evolution of written material. Apparently, at first, there was a tendency not even to leave spaces between words except to avoid some ambiguity. Then there was a period when some punctuation was introduced, but was used more like the rests in music; a way to indicate the position and duration of pauses. Apparently, the intent was to help the reader read the material aloud. I didn't pay much attention to the show, but I did come away with the concept that punctuation in particular, and grammar in general, are a constantly evolving aid to communication. The use of, for instance, capital letters wasn't just something that someone woke up one day and decided to implement. Throwing those rules out should be done with great consideration and care.
--Pete
Quote:Ah but if the argument is that capital letters don't convey any additional information then you just showed that 1 capital letter carries the same information as 2 commas, at least in that sentence.I agree completely. They both convey additional information and when they are redundant, they still aid. For instance, the capital letter starting a sentence is easier to see than is the period ending the previous sentence. The combination of period, extra space, and capital aids reading ease.
I might buy that they only convey redundant information, but they do convey additional information.
On a side note, I saw a show on TV some time ago, either on the History Channel or on one of the educational channels about the evolution of written material. Apparently, at first, there was a tendency not even to leave spaces between words except to avoid some ambiguity. Then there was a period when some punctuation was introduced, but was used more like the rests in music; a way to indicate the position and duration of pauses. Apparently, the intent was to help the reader read the material aloud. I didn't pay much attention to the show, but I did come away with the concept that punctuation in particular, and grammar in general, are a constantly evolving aid to communication. The use of, for instance, capital letters wasn't just something that someone woke up one day and decided to implement. Throwing those rules out should be done with great consideration and care.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?