Dash is one of those words with more meanings than letters. These include to rush (I dashed out), to destroy (my hopes were dashed), and a punctuation mark (em dash etc.). There are also various other meanings but those three are the most commonly used (as far as I know).
I can understand the link between the rapid action (to dash somewhere) and destruction, but am stumped trying to find a link between either and the "—".
The online etymology dictionary is not very helpful here:
dash (v.)
c.1300, probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Swedish daska, Danish daske "to beat, strike"), somehow imitative. The oldest sense is that in dash to pieces and dashed hopes. Intransitive meaning "move quickly" appeared c.1300, that of "to write hurriedly" is 1726. Related: Dashed; dashing.
dash (n.)
late 14c., from dash (v.). Sporting sense is from 1881, originally "race run in one heat."
Neither of those touches on the punctuation mark. So, what is the etymology of dash ("-") and how is it connected, if indeed it is, to the other meanings of the word? Any comments on the various other meanings (such as He cut a dashing figure etc.) are also welcome.
Best Answer
The basic meaning of the verb "dash" is to "strike" violently. A "dash" is a "stroke" of a pen. You can read about it in the relevant entries in the OED.
Here are the references:
1615 J. Stephens Ess. & Characters (new ed.) 414 And thus by meere chaunce with a little dash I have drawne the picture of a Pigmey.
a1656 Bp. J. Hall Shaking of Olive-tree (1660) ii. 310 With one dash to blot it out of the holy Calender.
1691 J. Ray Wisdom of God 20 That this was done by the temerarious dashes of an unguided Pen.
1803 J. Mackintosh Def. Peltier in Wks. (1846) III. 246 Fifty Imperial towns have been erased from the list of independent states, by one dash of the pen.