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(history.info)Word Designators

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Word Designators
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   Word designators are used to select desired words from the event.  A
`:' separates the event specification from the word designator.  It may
be omitted if the word designator begins with a `^', `$', `*', `-', or
`%'.  Words are numbered from the beginning of the line, with the first
word being denoted by 0 (zero).  Words are inserted into the current
line separated by single spaces.

   For example,

`!!'
     designates the preceding command.  When you type this, the
     preceding command is repeated in toto.

`!!:$'
     designates the last argument of the preceding command.  This may be
     shortened to `!$'.

`!fi:2'
     designates the second argument of the most recent command starting
     with the letters `fi'.

   Here are the word designators:

`0 (zero)'
     The `0'th word.  For many applications, this is the command word.

`N'
     The Nth word.

`^'
     The first argument; that is, word 1.

`$'
     The last argument.

`%'
     The word matched by the most recent `?STRING?' search.

`X-Y'
     A range of words; `-Y' abbreviates `0-Y'.

`*'
     All of the words, except the `0'th.  This is a synonym for `1-$'.
     It is not an error to use `*' if there is just one word in the
     event; the empty string is returned in that case.

`X*'
     Abbreviates `X-$'

`X-'
     Abbreviates `X-$' like `X*', but omits the last word.

   If a word designator is supplied without an event specification, the
previous command is used as the event.