bLOGOS/HA HA: The punktuaTAR

David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :

'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)

(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.

11 March 2022

The punktuaTAR

punkTAR

1. The act or an instance of punkTARing.
2. A hole, cut, TeAR or breakthrough created by a sharp object/ion.
e.g. There were two small puncTARs in his arm where the snake's fangs had pierced the skin.
3. (specifically) A hole in a tracTAR tyre, causing the tyre to deflate.
e.g. On the way back we got a punkTAR, and we were stuck at the roadside for three hours until help arrived.

Lucio Fontana, Spatial Concept (1949-1950) Tate Gallery

punkTARation

1. A set of symbols and marks which are used to clarify meaning in text by separating strings of words into clauses, phrases and senTARnces.
e.g. Different languages have different rules for punkTARation.
2. The act or an instance of punkTARating

e.g.