pointure

Forms

pointure f (plural pointures)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin pūnctūra (“prick, puncture”), the action noun of pungō (“to prick”), formed on its supine pūnctum.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} The same verb gave poindre and point.^[3]

Cognate with Italian puntura and Spanish puntura.^[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, in Rashi's glosses at the end of the 11th century, means the sting of a flame, a burn; about 1121–1134 Philippe de Thaon uses it for a snakebite.^[2][3][6]

Semantic evolution

Until the 16th century pointure was the ordinary word for a piqûre, and figuratively for a stabbing pain like one (1197, Hélinant); Montaigne still writes of les poinctures de la peur.^[2][4][3][5]

The modern uses are technical.^[3] In printing (1762) the pointures are small points that hold the sheet in place.^[2][3] In shoemaking (1765) it was the form running from heel to toe on which the upper was stitched; this led to the sense of the size of shoes, gloves and hats, counted in points (1824).^[2][3][4] That sense now dominates and has cut the word off from the idea of pricking.^[3]

In familiar use since about the 1970s une pointure, une grosse pointure is an important or highly skilled person.^[3][7]

Timeline

• Late 11th century – Rashi's glosses use it for “the sting of a flame”.^[2][3]
• 1121–1134 – Philippe de Thaon uses it for a snakebite.^[2]
• 1197 – Hélinant uses it for a stabbing pain.^[2][3]
• 1762 – The Académie records the printing sense.^[2][6]
• 1765 – The Encyclopédie records the shoemaker's form.^[2][6]
• 1824 – Raymond records the sense “shoe or glove size”.^[2][3]
• c. 1970 – Une pointure “an outstanding person” appears.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The size of shoes, gloves or hats, expressed as a number: je chausse du 39, quelle est votre pointure ?.^[7][2][1]
2. (familiar, figurative) Une pointure, une grosse pointure: an important, highly skilled person, an expert.^[7][3][1]
3. (printing) A small point that holds a sheet in place on the press; the hole it makes in the paper.^[7][5][2]
4. (archaic) A prick or sting; a stabbing pain.^[5][6]

Related words

• poindre
• point
• piqûre
• Latin pungō

Usage notes

The phrase trouver botte à sa pointure means to find exactly the person or thing one is looking for.^[2] The Grand Robert has a separate pointure formed from pointer (1951), used in basketball: avoir, trouver la pointure is to shoot at the basket with skill and precision.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert