Virgil
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Virgil is a noun meaning (typography, UK, archaic) Synonym of slash ⟨/⟩.
Meaning
(typography, UK, archaic) Synonym of slash ⟨/⟩.
Example Sentences
Other Chaucerian manuscripts had the virgule (or virgil or oblique: /) at the middle of lines.
No points were used by the ancient printers, excepting the colon and the period; but, after some time, a short oblique stroke, called a virgil, was introduced, which answered to the modern comma.
Whoever introduced the several points, it seems that a full-point, a point called come, answering to our colon-point, a point called virgil answering to our comma-point, the parenthesis-points and interrogative-point, were used at the close of the fourteenth, or beginning of the fifteenth century.
There be five manner of points and divisions most used among cunning men; the which if they be well used, make the sentence very light and easy to be understood, both to the reader and hearer: and they be these, virgil,—come,—parenthesis,—plain point,—interrogative... it is a slender stroke leaning forward, betokening a little short rest, without any perfectness yet of sentence.
Word Forms
- virgils
Synonyms for virgil
Depending on context, synonyms include slash.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include virge, valerian.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
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