prepunctuation

Prepunctuation is a term used in linguistics to describe the placement of punctuation marks before a word or phrase, rather than after it. This practice is less common in English but is more prevalent in some other languages and writing systems. In English, prepunctuation is typically used in specific contexts, such as in the case of exclamation points or question marks that precede a direct address or a quotation.

For example, in the phrase "!Hello there," the exclamation point is placed before the greeting, which is a form of prepunctuation. Similarly, in the phrase "?Who are you?" the question mark precedes the question. This usage is less common in English but can be seen in certain stylistic or poetic contexts.

Prepunctuation is more commonly used in languages that write from right to left, such as Arabic and Hebrew. In these languages, punctuation marks are naturally placed before the words they modify, as the text is read from right to left. For example, in Arabic, the question mark is placed before the question, and the exclamation mark is placed before the exclamation.

In summary, prepunctuation refers to the placement of punctuation marks before a word or phrase. While less common in English, it is more prevalent in some other languages and writing systems. It is used in specific contexts in English, such as in the case of exclamation points or question marks that precede a direct address or a quotation.