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Link: http://www.slate.com/id/2194087/In English, the semicolon has two purposes:
1. binding two sentences more closely than if separated by a full-stop period. It replaces conjunctions, such as and or but. Writers consider this appropriate when indicating a close relationship between two sentences, a continuation of meaning from the one to the next; the connection might break with an abrupt period.
2. as a divider stronger than a comma, to clarify meaning in a sentence where commas are used for other purposes, e.g. to separate items of a list when the items contain commas.
In modern times, it is used as a *winking* smiley ;-). Read on...
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