entry
comma
/ˈkɒmə/small punctuation mark signaling a pause
From Latin comma (short phrase).
from PIE root *kop- "to beat, strike, smite" (see hatchet (n.)), or perhaps Pre-Greek. Like colon (n.1) and period it...
from Greek komma "clause in a sentence," also "stamp, coinage," literally "piece which is cut off,"
from Latin comma "short phrase or clause of a sentence or line of poetry,"
+1 more sourcefrom Latin comma "short phrase or clause of a sentence or line of poetry,"
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from PIE root *kop- "to beat, strike, smite" (see hatchet (n.)), or perhaps Pre-Greek. Like colon (n.1) and period it...
from Greek komma "clause in a sentence," also "stamp, coinage," literally "piece which is cut off,"
from Latin comma "short phrase or clause of a sentence or line of poetry,"
+1 more sourcefrom Latin comma "short phrase or clause of a sentence or line of poetry,"
+1 more sourceA comma began life as a chopped-off little piece. In Greek, komma meant a clause cut from a sentence, and the verb behind it, koptein, was all sharp elbows: to strike, to hack, to cut down. That same family tree gives the word its physical feel, which is why punctuation can seem so oddly bodily, as if writing were a thing you could slice into neat segments. Printers in the 15th and 16th centuries, including Aldus Manutius, helped turn that rhetorical idea into the tiny curved mark we now sprinkle across pages. So every time you pause at a comma, you’re really seeing a miniature cut — a wound so civilized it helps the sentence breathe.
The Story
A comma began life as a chopped-off little piece. In Greek, komma meant a clause cut from a sentence, and the verb behind it, koptein, was all sharp elbows: to strike, to hack, to cut down. That same family tree gives the word its physical feel, which is why punctuation can seem so oddly bodily, as if writing were a thing you could slice into neat segments. Printers in the 15th and 16th centuries, including Aldus Manutius, helped turn that rhetorical idea into the tiny curved mark we now sprinkle across pages. So every time you pause at a comma, you’re really seeing a miniature cut — a wound so civilized it helps the sentence breathe.
Modern Usage
a tiny amount or a brief pause; also used jokingly as a grammar symbol in memes
Popularized by: internet grammar jokes and meme culture
Notable References
- the classic 'helped my uncle, Jack, off his horse' joke
- George W. Bush's 'comma' remark about Iraq
Kin & Kindred
From 'comma'·short phrase; clause; cut-off piece
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary