Etymologically
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pungo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpʊŋ.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpuŋ.ɡo][1]

Forms

pungō (present infinitive pungere, perfect active pupugī or pepugī, supine pūnctum); third conjugation[1] The perfect is pupugī and also pepugī.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *pung- (“to pierce, sting”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pu-n(e)-g/k-, a nasal present.[4] Related words are pugnus “fist” and pugil “boxer”, and cognates Ancient Greek πύξ (púx, “with the fist”), Ancient Greek πυγμή (pugmḗ, “fist”) and Ancient Greek πεύκη (peúkē, “pine”).[4][2][1] De Vaan thinks a separate root Proto-Indo-European *pug- “fist” may underlie pugnus.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Naevius uses it of being stabbed in the hand with a stylus.[2][4] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was to prick or puncture, to make a wound by pricking, and to mark with dots, tempore pūnctō was “in a moment”.[2][6] Figuratively it was to sting, vex or trouble someone.[2][7] Döderlein says it is to thrust with a pointed tool to wound or cause pain.[8]

Its participle pūnctum became “point”, and with the verb it gave English point.[9] It survives as Italian pungere, French poindre and Romanian împunge.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of a wound made by a needle.[6][5]
  • c. 1200 – English point is recorded, from Old French, from pūnctum.[9]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To prick, puncture, sting.[2][3]
  2. To mark with dots.[2]
  3. Tempore pūnctō, in a moment.[2]
  4. To vex, trouble, sting (the mind).[2][7]

Word family

  • compungō
  • dēpungō
  • dispungō
  • expungō
  • impunctus
  • interpungō
  • prōpungō
  • pūgiō
  • puncta
  • pūnctātim
  • pūnctim
  • pūnctiō
  • pugnus
  • pugil
  • English point
  • English punch

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com