favor. Commonplacing is an evolutionary dead end on the radiation of functions of “quotation marks” during the early days of printing. In order to distinguish between the marks and their function, which is only sometimes quotation, I will call the inverted double commas The earliest practice of Q-marking “Q-marks.” printed quotations differed from the present-day practice in some notable ways, ways that I will argue matter for the theory of quotation. The first relevant feature of direct and mixed quotation in the 18th century novel is that it subsumes most of our contemporary practice. So, for example, there are standard indirect quotes (1) and indirect questions (2) that are punctuated roughly as we would punctuate them today (the exception being that the indirect questions end with a question mark). Then there are standard direct quotations (3), accounting for the majority of quotations. Finally, there are plenty of mixed quotations, such as (4) and (5). (1) sometimes he said, he looked …For on himself as still married, and considered his Wife as only gone a little before him… [vol. I, p. 6] (2) Mrs. Miller then asked what was to be done with Blifil? (3) I wish,’ answered the surgeon, I could ‘ ‘ assure your being well in a month or two. ‘ [vol. II, p. 186] ‘ …’ (4) Upon this, related to him the whole Jones Truth, and earnestly begged him not to punish the poor Soldier, who, I am confident,’ says ‘ he, is as innocent of the Ensign's Escape, as he ‘ is of forging any Lie, or of endeavouring to ‘ impose on you.’ [vol. II, p. 169] ‘ (5) nay, reports them to have been incredi- Cicero ‘
favor. Commonplacing is an evolutionary dead end on the radiation of functions of “quotation marks” during the early days of printing. In order to distinguish between the marks and their function, which is only sometimes quotation, I will call the inverted double commas “Q-marks.” The earliest practice of Q-marking printed quotations differed from the present-day practice in some notable ways, ways that I will argue matter for the theory of quotation. The first relevant feature of direct and mixed quotation in the 18th century novel is that it subsumes most of our contemporary practice. So, for example, there are standard indirect quotes (1) and indirect questions (2) that are punctuated roughly as we would punctuate them today (the exception being that the indirect questions end with a question mark). Then there are standard direct quotations (3), accounting for the majority of quotations. Finally, there are plenty of mixed quotations, such as (4) and (5). (1) …For sometimes he said, he looked on himself as still married, and considered his Wife as only gone a little before him… [vol. I, p. 6] (2) Mrs. Miller then asked what was to be done with Blifil? (3) ‘ I wish,’ answered the surgeon, ‘ I could ‘ assure your being well in a month or two. ‘ …’ [vol. II, p. 186] (4) Upon this, Jones related to him the whole Truth, and earnestly begged him not to punish the poor Soldier, ‘ who, I am confident,’ says he, ‘ is as innocent of the Ensign's Escape, as he ‘ is of forging any Lie, or of endeavouring to ‘ impose on you.’ [vol. II, p. 169] (5) nay, Cicero reports them to have been ‘ incredi-
Quotation-through-History.docx