The etymological root of parenthesis is found in the Greek parenthesis , which can be translated as “intercalation.” That word is divided or made up of the prefix “para-”, which means “next to”; the prefix “en-”, which is equivalent to “within”, and the noun “thesis”, which is synonymous with “conclusion” or “position”. And you have to know that Greek word later came into late Latin as “parenthesis.”
The parenthesis is a double orthographic sign that allows demarcating those linguistic units that introduce clarifications or complementary data in a message . The content located in parentheses, therefore, is not the main one.
Let's look at an example : “Last night, in a match corresponding to group E of the World Cup, Brazil beat Russia 3-0. “Two goals were scored by Neymar (one from a penalty) and the remaining one by Arthur.” As can be seen, the use of parentheses makes it clear that one of the goals scored by Neymar was through a penalty kick. If the content of the parentheses is removed, the expression would still have meaning. On the other hand, the parenthesis alone does not allow the information to be understood.
In addition to everything indicated, we cannot ignore that, depending on their form, there are several types of parentheses. Specifically, among the most significant are the following:
-The parentheses as such, which are the ones that look like a half circle.
-The keys, which are widely used both in the field of mathematics and when making diagrams.
-Brackets, which are used both in the world of numbers and also in the field of literature.
-The wedges, which appear in the shape of a double arrow to the left or right.
The supplementary sentence that interrupts a statement without modifying its meaning is also called a parenthesis. When someone, in the middle of a speech, makes a parenthesis, they make a comment that has nothing to do directly with the message: “In the context of his conference on global warming, the scientist made a parenthesis to tell an anecdote from his childhood" .
In mathematics , finally, the parenthesis is the sign that indicates that a certain operation must be carried out on the entire expression:
3 x (4 + 3 + 5 – 2)
3x10
30
As you can see, the addition and subtraction operation placed in parentheses must be resolved in its entirety and then continue working with that result .
In the same way, at a popular level it is very common to use an expression that uses the term in question. We are referring to “taking a parenthesis”. This is used to indicate that a break is necessary or that it is essential to enjoy a getaway.
Examples of its use are the following: “During the course of the computer science course, the lecturer chose to take a break to have a coffee and go to the bathroom” or “I need to take a break to be able to recharge my batteries and face my work with more energy.” . “I have to take a vacation.”