Exclamation mark

The exclamation mark ! (also known as exclamation point in American English) is a special sign used in writing to show strong feelings. People use it after words that express surprise, joy, anger, or excitement. For example, when someone shouts "Wow!" or says "Oops!", the exclamation mark helps show how they really feel.

Besides showing strong emotions, the exclamation mark can also be used to make a loud sound clear, like writing "Bang!" to show a loud noise. It is also often seen on warning signs, where a simple exclamation mark tells people to be careful.

The exclamation mark has been used for many years. It started from an old word that showed joy and surprise, and a writer in Italy helped make it into the symbol we use today. Today, the exclamation mark is used in many other ways too. In math, it can show a special operation called a factorial. In computer languages, it can mean "no" or "not". And in chess, it can show when a player makes a very good move.

Etymology

See also: Exclamation mark § History

In the 14th century, the exclamation mark was called the punctus admirativus/exclamativus. A writer named Iacopo Alpoleio da Urbisaglia wrote about it. Fifty years later, another writer, Coluccio Salutati, started using it in his work. This helped the exclamation mark become popular in England. There, people translated its name to "point of admiration/exclamation." Eventually, the word "exclamation" became the main name for it in the 17th century.

History

Linguists say that the exclamation mark comes from a Latin word meaning "hooray." Writers used to write this word at the end of sentences to show happiness. Over time, they changed the way they wrote it, turning it into the exclamation mark we use today.

The exclamation mark was first created in the mid-14th century by a writer named Iacopo Alpoleio da Urbisaglia. He made it because he was annoyed that people read emotional text without showing any emotion. His early version looked like a period with an apostrophe above it and was used to show feelings like admiration and surprise. Later, it became common in printing to give emphasis to sentences. Older typewriters often didn’t have the symbol, so people would type a period and then an apostrophe to make it.

Slang and other names

The exclamation mark has had many fun names over time. In the early 1900s, it was called an ecphoneme. By the 1950s in America, people often called it a "bang," possibly because it looked like a gun firing in comic books. This "bang" name led to other terms like the interrobang, a special printing symbol, and the shebang, a part of Unix computers.

In printing, people have called the exclamation mark many things, like a screamer, a gasper, or a slammer. Computer programmers sometimes call it a "shriek," but the "bang" name became popular, especially in Unix systems. For example, saying "Your password is em-zero-pee-aitch-bang-en-three" means the password is m0ph!n3.

Languages

The exclamation mark is mainly used in languages that use the Latin alphabet, although it is also found in languages written with Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese characters, and Devanagari scripts.

In English, an exclamation mark shows strong feelings such as surprise or excitement, like in "Wow!" It can also show a command, like "Stop!" Sometimes, exclamation marks are repeated for more emphasis, like "That's great!!!" but this is usually not done in formal writing. In French, the exclamation mark is used to show strong feelings or to give commands, such as "Viens ici!" meaning "Come here!"

In German, the exclamation mark is used at the end of commands, like "Ruf mich morgen an!" which means "Call me tomorrow!" In Spanish, sentences ending with an exclamation mark must also start with one, like "¡Casi la matas!" meaning "You almost killed her!"

In Cantonese, exclamation marks are not commonly used, but they can appear in informal writing to show strong feelings. In Modern Greek, the exclamation mark is used similarly to Latin scripts. In Hungarian, it is used at the end of exclamations, commands, or wishes, like "De szép!" meaning "How beautiful!"

In Turkish, exclamation marks are used for emphasis and after commands. In Limbu, they are used to show emphasis or sarcasm. In Solomon Islands Pidgin, strong feelings can be shown with exclamation marks around a phrase.

Proper names

Exclamation marks are sometimes used in brand names and trade names. Examples include Yum! Brands, which owns fast food chains like Taco Bell and KFC, as well as web services like Yahoo! and Joomla!, and the online game Kahoot!. Some style guides, however, suggest not using exclamation marks in trade names.

Exclamation marks also appear in the titles of many stage and screen works, especially comedies and musicals. Examples include the game show Jeopardy!, the 1960s TV show Shindig!, and musicals such as Oklahoma!, Mamma Mia!, Oliver!, and Oh! Calcutta!. Movies like Airplane! and Moulin Rouge! also use them in their titles.

In the 1970s, exclamation marks became less popular in major musical titles but are still often used for ironic or funny purposes. During the 2016 United States presidential campaign, Republican candidate Jeb Bush used "Jeb!" as his campaign logo.

Place names

In the United Kingdom, the town of Westward Ho! is the only place name that officially includes an exclamation mark. This name comes from a novel by Charles Kingsley. In Quebec, there is a town named Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, which has two exclamation marks in its name. In 1986, the city of Hamilton, Ohio tried to change its name to Hamilton!, but this change was not accepted by official geographic boards or mapmakers like Rand McNally. In 2008, the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic changed its logo to Ostrava!!!.

Warnings

Exclamation marks help make important safety messages stand out. You’ll often see them on warning signs that tell you about possible dangers or hazards. These signs are used in places where there might be risks or on equipment that could be unsafe.

A common warning sign is a yellow triangle with a black exclamation mark. In Europe, you might see a white triangle with a red border and an exclamation mark on road warning signs. Sometimes, the triangle includes a picture showing the specific danger, but the exclamation mark can also be used alone to mean there’s a general warning. A small sign below usually explains what the hazard is.

Use in various fields

The exclamation mark is used in many different areas. In mathematics, it shows the factorial operation, where n! means multiplying all whole numbers from 1 to n together. For example, 4! equals 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 24. In computing, it is used to show "not" in programming, like !A meaning "not A".

In chess, exclamation marks are used to show good or excellent moves. In games like Scrabble, an exclamation mark after a word shows it is allowed in tournaments but not in the main dictionary. Some music groups also use exclamation marks in their names.

Unicode code-points (with HTML)

The exclamation mark has a special code called U+0021. In HTML, you can write it as ! or !. There are many related symbols and marks used in different writing systems and for special purposes.

Some of these include:

• U+00A1 ¡ INVERTED EXCLAMATION MARK (¡)
• U+203C ‼ DOUBLE EXCLAMATION MARK (for use in vertical text)
  • ‼️ with emoji variation selector
• U+203D ‽ INTERROBANG
• U+2E18 ⸘ INVERTED INTERROBANG
• U+2048 ⁈ QUESTION EXCLAMATION MARK (for use in vertical text)
• U+2049 ⁉ EXCLAMATION QUESTION MARK (for use in vertical text)
  • ⁉️ with emoji variation selector
• U+26A0 ⚠ WARNING SIGN (exclamation mark in triangle)
• U+2755 ❕ WHITE EXCLAMATION MARK ORNAMENT
• U+2757 ❗ HEAVY EXCLAMATION MARK SYMBOL
• U+2762 ❢ HEAVY EXCLAMATION MARK ORNAMENT
• U+2763 ❣ HEAVY HEART EXCLAMATION MARK ORNAMENT
  • ❣️ with emoji variation selector
• U+2E53 ⹓ MEDIEVAL EXCLAMATION MARK
• U+A71D ꜝ MODIFIER LETTER RAISED EXCLAMATION MARK
• U+A71E ꜞ MODIFIER LETTER RAISED INVERTED EXCLAMATION MARK
• U+A71F ꜟ MODIFIER LETTER LOW INVERTED EXCLAMATION MARK
• U+FE15 ︕ PRESENTATION FORM FOR VERTICAL EXCLAMATION MARK
• U+FE57 ﹗ SMALL EXCLAMATION MARK (for special applications within CJK text)
• U+FF01 ！ FULLWIDTH EXCLAMATION MARK (for special applications within CJK text)
• U+E0021 TAG EXCLAMATION MARK

Some emojis also feature an exclamation mark:

• U+1F199 🆙 SQUARED UP WITH EXCLAMATION MARK
• U+1F51B 🔛 ON WITH EXCLAMATION MARK WITH LEFT RIGHT ARROW ABOVE

Different scripts have their own versions of the exclamation mark, such as:

• U+055C ՜ ARMENIAN EXCLAMATION MARK
• U+07F9 ߹ NKO EXCLAMATION MARK
• U+109F ႟ MYANMAR SYMBOL SHAN EXCLAMATION
• U+1944 ᥄ LIMBU EXCLAMATION MARK
• U+AA77 ꩷ MYANMAR SYMBOL AITON EXCLAMATION
• U+1E95E 𞥞 ADLAM INITIAL EXCLAMATION MARK