Where does “Punch” come from?
Punch comes from Italian Pulcinella, derived from Neapolitan Pulecenella, a character in commedia dell'arte whose name origin remains uncertain.
Punch (English): A glove puppet who is the main character used in a Punch and Judy show
Definitions
- A glove puppet who is the main character used in a Punch and Judy show
Ancestry of “Punch”, step by step
Punch traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English puncheon
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | puncheon | A figured stamp, die, or punch, used by... |
| 2 | Middle English | punchoun | — |
| 3 | Old French | ponchon | puncheon |
| 4 | Latin | punctiō | puncture, pricking |
| 5 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 6 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 7 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 8 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 9 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 10 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 11 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via Middle English punischen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | punischen | — |
| 2 | Old French | puniss- | — |
| 3 | Old French | punir | to punish |
| 4 | Latin | puniō | to punish |
| 5 | Latin | poenā | penalty, punishment |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ποινή | blood money, wergeld; fine, ransom, penalty,... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | kʷoinā́ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷoynéh₂ | payment; punishment, vengeance |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷey- | to pay; to avenge |