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The first sentence on the [Mac OS
X](http://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mac_OS_X&oldid=42909164) article
on the Japanese version of Wikipedia reads:

> Mac OS X（マック オーエス テン）は、アップルが **[開発]{かいはつ}・[販売]{はんばい}する**
> 、Macintoshコンピュータ[用]{よう}の[現行]{げんこう}オペレーティングシステム (OS) である。

Now, in between the words 開発 and 販売 there happens to be a nakaguro. In this
context what does it mean? Is it simply a short-hand listing for する verbs?
(similar to an `&` sign?) or perhaps something used to build some special type
of compound verbs? Also, how would that be read (e.g. _pronounced_ )?
Considering that this is an encyclopedia article, is this convention formal or
informal?
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2012-06-13T18:00:16.740
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question
meaning punctuation orthography
What does the nakaguro (・) between these two words mean?
> Now, in between the words 開発 and 販売 there happens to be a nakaguro. In this
> context what does it mean? Is it simply a short hand listing for する verbs?
> (similar to an & sign?) or perhaps it is used to build some special type of
> compound verbs?

According to the [Japanese Wikipedia article on
「・」](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C2%B7#.E4.BD.B5.E8.A8.98.E3.81.99.E3.82.8B.E5.8D.98.E8.AA.9E.E3.81.AE.E5.8C.BA.E5.88.87.E3.82.8A),
this mark is mainly used as a divider in compound words. It would therefore
not _mean_ anything here _per se_ , but rather function to make it clear that
this is a compound word composed of 開発 and 販売.

> Also how would that be read (e.g. pronounced)?

「・」 is not usually pronounced. However, てん, ぽつ, or ぽち is sometimes spoken to
indicate this character when the need arises.

[This YouTube video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6gjXkHW9zw) contains a
transcript specifically containing 開発・販売. If you listen to the dialogue, you
will not hear any pause between 開発 and 販売.

> Considering that this is an encyclopedia article, is this convention formal
> or informal?

Since it's main purpose is to indicate a division in a compound word, I
suspect it could be used in any formal or informal situation warranting this
precision.
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2012-06-13T21:42:03.617
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answer
中点 `・` is used to express listing. In English, it would be expressed with a
comma and the word `and`.

> A・B・C (Japanese)  
>  A, B, and C (English)

Japanese has a counterpart to the comma, that is 読点 `、`, but its use is
different from a comma. Some people use 読点 for listing things like this:

> A、B、C

but it is not standard. In horizontal writing, some people use the English
punctuation `,` and `.`. In that case, the comma `,` can be used for listing.

It is a good point that you recognized that `する` is not repeated. If you
wanted to, the non-final ones will become `し(て)`, and 読点 would be used instead
of 中点.

> 開発・販売する  
>  開発し、販売する

This indicates that 中点 is used for connecting noun phrases that are not
syntactically connected. When the listed items are connected syntactically as
in the latter example above, 読点 is used.

中点 is not usually pronounced, but if you want to, `や` or `と` may work in some
cases.
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2012-06-18T13:21:55.043
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answer