Where does “counterpoint” come from?
counterpoint (English) comes from Old French contrepointe, from Old French coultepointe, from Latin puncta, from Latin punctus, from Latin -tus, from Proto-Italic -tus, from Proto-Indo-European -tus — Derives action nouns from verb roots.
counterpoint (English): A melody added to an existing one, especially one...
Definitions
- A melody added to an existing one, especially one...
Ancestry of “counterpoint”, step by step
counterpoint traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French contrepointe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | contrepointe | — |
| 2 | Old French | coultepointe | — |
| 3 | Latin | puncta | nominative feminine singular of pūnctus;... |
| 4 | Latin | punctus | pricked, punctured, pierced, having been pricked;... |
| 5 | Latin | -tus | Forms the past participle of verbs; Forms... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -tus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tus | Derives action nouns from verb roots |
via Middle French contrepoint
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | contrepoint | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | contrapunctum | — |