previous next
[122] A comma, in my opinion, may be defined as the expression of a thought lacking rhythmical [p. 577] completeness; on the other hand, most writers regard it merely as a portion of the colon. As an example I may cite the following from Cicero: Domus tibi deerat? at habebas: pecunia superabat? at egebas.1 But a comma may also consist of a single word, as in the following instance where diximnus is a comma: Diximus, testes dare volumus.

1 Or. lxvii. 223. See IX. ii. 15.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.

load focus Introduction (Harold Edgeworth Butler, 1922)
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: