A sudden cry or remark expressing surprise, strong feeling, or pain. In grammar, a sentence or phrase expressing strong emotion, typically ending with an exclamation point.
From Latin 'exclamare,' meaning 'to cry out,' composed of 'ex-' (out) and 'clamare' (to shout). The grammatical sense developed in medieval Latin as scholars began categorizing types of sentences.
The exclamation point (!) was originally called an 'admiration point' in English, reflecting wonder rather than just volume. Interestingly, Spanish uses upside-down exclamation points at the beginning of sentences, giving readers advance warning of the emotional tone.
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