punctualis

Forms

pūnctuālis, pūnctuālis, pūnctuāle (third declension)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin pūnctus (“a pricking; a point”) + -ālis in Medieval Latin,^[2][3] and so goes back to pungō (“to prick”).^[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler, after Latham, dates it to about 1270, with the sense “belonging to a point”.^[1]

Semantic evolution

In geometry and optics it described what has the form of a point: in Witelo's Perspectiva a shadow appears as a point.^[3] In music theory Johannes Tinctoris spoke of a division made by a dot in mensural notation.^[4] The Polish dictionary also records the senses “brief, momentary”, “exact” and “indivisible”.^[3] English took it over as punctual, at first for something pointed, later for being prompt.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1270 – First recorded, meaning “belonging to a point”.^[1]
• c. 1400 – English borrows it as punctual, “having a sharp point”.^[2]
• 15th century – Johannes Tinctoris uses it of a division by a dot in mensural notation.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (Medieval Latin) Belonging to a point;^[1][3] (geometry) having the form of a point.^[1][3]
2. (Medieval Latin, music) Made with a dot in mensural notation.^[4][3]
3. (Medieval Latin) Brief, momentary.^[3]
4. (Medieval Latin) Exact; indivisible.^[3]

Related words

• pūnctus
• pungō
• English punctual

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
4. ^ a b c Lexicon musicum Latinum medii aevi (1992–), Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften; online ed. Wörterbuchnetz