1530年代，“诗篇的标点”（为了唱诵它们），来自中世纪拉丁语 punctuationem（主格 punctuatio）“书写中的点划标记”，名词形式源自过去分词词干 punctuare “用点或点划标记”，源自拉丁语 punctus，过去分词 pungere “刺，穿透”（来自原始印欧词根 *peuk- “刺”的后缀形式）。
“在书面材料中插入停顿的系统”的意义记录于1660年代。
The modern system of punctuation was gradually developed after the introduction of printing, primarily through the efforts of Aldus Manutius and his family. ... Long after the use of the present points became established, they were so indiscriminately employed that, if closely followed, they are often a hindrance rather than an aid in reading and understanding the text. There is still much uncertainty and arbitrariness in punctuation, but its chief office is now generally understood to be that of facilitating a clear comprehension of the sense. [Century Dictionary, 1895]
现代标点系统是在印刷术引入后逐渐发展的，主要通过阿尔杜斯·马努提乌斯及其家族的努力。……在现在的标点使用确立很久之后，它们被如此不加区分地使用，以至于如果严格遵循，它们往往在阅读和理解文本时成为障碍，而不是帮助。标点仍然存在许多不确定性和任意性，但其主要功能现在普遍被理解为促进对意义的清晰理解。[世纪词典，1895]
[P]unctuation is cold notation; it is not frustrated speech; it is typographic code. [Robert Bringhurst, "The Elements of Typographic Style," 2004]
[P]unctuation是冷冰冰的符号；它不是受挫的语言；它是排版代码。[罗伯特·布林赫斯特，《排版风格要素》，2004]
