point

point
\ \ [13] ‘Sharp end’ is the etymological notion underlying point. For it comes ultimately from Latin pungereprick, pierce’ (source also of English expunge, poignant and pungent). The neuter form of its past participle, punctum, was used as a noun, meaning ‘small hole made by pricking, dot, particle, etc’ (it is the source of English punctual, punctuation, etc), which passed into Old French as point. Then in the post-classical period a further noun was created, from the feminine past participle puncta, meaning ‘sharp tip’, and this gave Old French pointe. The two have remained separate in French, but in English they have coalesced in point. The Spanish descendant of Latin punctum, punta, has given English puntbet’.
\ \ Cf.COMPUNCTION, EXPUNGE, POIGNANT, PUNCTUAL, PUNCTUATION, PUNT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • point — 1. (poin ; le t se lie : un poin t important ; au pluriel, l s se lie : des points z importants) s. m. 1°   Douleur qui point, qui pique. 2°   Piqûre que l on fait dans l étoffe avec une aiguille enfilée d un fil. 3°   Nom donné à certains… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Point — Point, n. [F. point, and probably also pointe, L. punctum, puncta, fr. pungere, punctum, to prick. See {Pungent}, and cf. {Puncto}, {Puncture}.] 1. That which pricks or pierces; the sharp end of anything, esp. the sharp end of a piercing… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Point — may refer to the following: Contents 1 Business and finance 2 Engineering 3 Entertainment …   Wikipedia

  • point — [point] n. [OFr, dot, prick < L punctum, dot, neut. of punctus, pp. of pungere, to prick (< IE base * peuĝ , *peuk̑, to prick, jab > Ger fichte, spruce tree, L pugil, boxer, pugnus, fist); also < OFr pointe, sharp end < ML puncta… …   English World dictionary

  • Point — hat verschiedene Urspünge: Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Bedeutung im Deutschen 2 Verwendung in Begriffen französischen und englischen Ursprungs 3 Einzelnachweise 4 Si …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • point — n 1: a particular detail, proposition, or issue of law; specif: point of error 2: any of various incremental units used in measuring, fixing, or calculating something: as a: a unit used in calculating a sentence by various factors (as aggravating …   Law dictionary

  • point — ► NOUN 1) the tapered, sharp end of a tool, weapon, or other object. 2) a particular spot, place, or moment. 3) an item, detail, or idea in a discussion, text, etc. 4) (the point) the most significant or relevant factor or element. 5) advantage… …   English terms dictionary

  • point — Point, ou Poinct, Sermoni vernaculo additur ad maiorem negationis expressionem. Je n iray point, id est, Non ibo, quasi dicas, Ne punctum quidem progrediar vt eam illo. Il n y est poinct, id est, Non est illic, quasi illius ne punctum quidem ibi… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • Point — (point), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pointed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Pointing}.] [Cf. F. pointer. See {Point}, n.] 1. To give a point to; to sharpen; to cut, forge, grind, or file to an acute end; as, to point a dart, or a pencil. Used also figuratively; as …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Point — 〈[ poɛ̃:] m. 6〉 1. 〈Kart.〉 Stich 2. 〈Würfelspiel〉 Auge [frz., „Punkt“ <lat. punctum, „Punkt, Stich“] * * * Point [po̯ɛ̃: ], der; s, s [frz. point < lat. punctum, ↑ Punkt]: 1. a) …   Universal-Lexikon

  • point — [n1] speck bit, count, dot, fleck, flyspeck, full stop, iota, mark, minim, mite, mote, notch, particle, period, scrap, stop, tittle, trace; concepts 79,831 point [n2] specific location locality, locus, place, position, site, situation, spot,… …   New thesaurus

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