Comma (rhetoric)
Encyclopedia
In Ancient Greek rhetoric a comma (κόμμα) is a short clause
, something less than a colon
, originally denoted by comma marks
. It is shaped as a small swipe at the bottom of the line.
In antiquity comma was defined as a combination of words that has no more than eight syllables.
Clause
In grammar, a clause is the smallest grammatical unit that can express a complete proposition. In some languages it may be a pair or group of words that consists of a subject and a predicate, although in other languages in certain clauses the subject may not appear explicitly as a noun phrase,...
, something less than a colon
Colon (rhetoric)
A colon is a rhetorical figure consisting of a clause which is grammatically, but not logically, complete. In Latin, it is called a membrum or membrum orationis....
, originally denoted by comma marks
Comma (punctuation)
The comma is a punctuation mark. It has the same shape as an apostrophe or single closing quotation mark in many typefaces, but it differs from them in being placed on the baseline of the text. Some typefaces render it as a small line, slightly curved or straight but inclined from the vertical, or...
. It is shaped as a small swipe at the bottom of the line.
In antiquity comma was defined as a combination of words that has no more than eight syllables.