Dictionary

virgule en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈvɜː.ɡjuːl/ (UK)
• /ˈvɝ.ɡjul/ (US)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French virgule, from Latin virgula (“twig; scratch comma”), from virga (“rod, branch”) + -ulus (diminutive suffix). Doublet of virgula.

Meanings

1. (historical, obsolete) A medieval punctuation mark similar to the slash ⟨/⟩ or pipe ⟨|⟩ and used as a scratch comma and caesura mark.
   • Other Chaucerian manuscripts had the virgule (or virgil or oblique: /) at the middle of lines. 1990, John McDermott, Punctuation for Now, page 20:
2. (dated) A slash, ⟨/⟩ or ⟨／⟩.
3. (dated) A slash, ⟨/⟩ or ⟨／⟩. ▸ Used to mark line breaks within quotes.
4. (dated) A pipe, ⟨|⟩.
5. (dated) A pipe, ⟨|⟩. ▸ Used to mark metrical feet.

Forms

Relateds

virgula · virgil

Synonyms

virgil (all) · pipe (vertical line) · caesura (caesura mark) · comma (scratch comma) · slash (oblique line) · virgula (all)

Translations (4)

pl ukośnik (typographic character) · fi vinoviiva (typographic character) · cs lomítko (typographic character) · es barra oblicua (typographic character)