>> roff perhaps?
There were a number of markup languages from the 80s.... Runoff on VMS,
RNF @ the UW on our CDC, and some micro-computer variants in the era when
printers could achieve higher resolutions, but (pre-WIMP) screens were
still character-generator-based. "dot" commands worked because .text
is so uncommon in english. (while dot-space is pretty normal).
Sorry if the digression is a distraction. Occupational hazard.
-b.johnson, dept of architecture, university of washington (3rd decade)