ABSTRACT
As THE name semicolon, half a colon, indicates, the semicolon comes historically after the colon; but in practice it is more important-at least, in the sense of being more popular. If anybody uses one more than the two simple points, period and comma, that additional point is usually the semicolon. By its very form (;) it betrays its dual nature: it is both period and comma. As it is half a colon, so is it also a modified period and a strengthened comma.
