196

Can you explain to me why I shouldn't just use a minus sign? What does the extra symbol bring to the table?

I like to quote myself. Like "This is a meaningful sentence" would be an example.

(in standardized English) No, you can’t make them into a star with the semicolon in the center. Sentences are linear, so you can only connect two clauses at a time with one semicolon between them. However, you can chain clauses together, each time using a semicolon to join two independent clauses.

Except language changes over time, so if the star usage of the semicolon catches on and introduces nonlinear sentences, then have at it.

You can; You are clearly an adventurer; And I am impressed; Lest you offend the gods.

I'm sorry, but the example in your comment is nonstandard usage. The part after the semicolon would typically be an independent clause, whereas the "because" marks yours as a dependent clause.

There are still comma-like uses though. The major one I can think of is as a separator in a list where each element is long, possibly containing commas of its own.