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The Mysterious History of the Ellipsis, From Medieval Subpuncting to Irrational Numbers(Slate.com)

The punctuation mark of the ellipsis is perhaps the most unusual mark in the English language, for punctuation marks are designed to convey meaning by indicating relationships between ideas, but the ellipsis does the exact opposite. It simply indicates that something has been omitted.

But where did the ellipsis come from and how did it end up being so unusual? The Guardian’s article on the history of the ellipsis draws on Anne Toner’s fascinating book Ellipsis in English Literature: Signs of Omission to explore ellipses all the way back to the drama of the 16th century.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2016/08/17/the_ellipsis_in_medieval_manuscripts_how_subpuncting_in_the_middle_ages.html