Becomma

/bɪˈkɒmə/ verb

Definition

to mark or separate with commas; an extremely rare or obsolete verb meaning to punctuate.

Etymology

From 'be-' plus 'comma'. This word reflects the 16th-17th century practice of creating verbs from punctuation marks, though it never became standard.

Kelly Says

Imagine if 'becomma' had caught on—we might use it today to mean 'add commas to'—but English speakers apparently preferred just 'punctuate' instead, and thousands of these 'be-' verbs were forgotten.

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