Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “punctilio” come from?

Punctilio comes from Italian puntiglio, from Spanish puntillo, a diminutive of Spanish punta, from Latin punctum, the past participle of pungere meaning to prick or pierce.

punctilio (English): A fine point in exactness of conduct, ceremony or...

Definitions

  1. A fine point in exactness of conduct, ceremony or...

Ancestry of “punctilio”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianpuntiglioobstinacy
2SpanishpuntilloDiminutive of punto; self-love; staccato dot
3Spanish-illoAdded to masculine nouns to denote a diminutive...
4Old Spanish-ielloA diminutive suffix
5Latin-ellusAlternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine...
6Latin-ulusUsed to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating...
7Proto-Italic-olos—
8Proto-Italic-elos—
9Proto-Indo-European-e-lós—
10Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “punctilio”

  • punctilious
  • punctiliously
  • punctiliousness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →