Ponto
/ˈpɒn.təʊ/noun
A ritual song or chant used in some Afro-Brazilian religious traditions, especially Umbanda and Candomblé.
Did you know?In Umbanda, pontos cantados are not merely songs but ritual speech believed to help establish contact with particular spiritual entities.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peyk- / *peḱ-
“To mark, prick, or make a point”
Classical Latin
Latin
pungere
“To prick, pierce, or puncture”
Classical Latin
Latin
punctum
“A point, mark, or puncture; literally something pricked”
Medieval Portuguese
Portuguese
ponto
“A point, place, mark, or subject”
Modern Portuguese
Portuguese
ponto
“A point; in Afro-Brazilian religious usage, a ritual song or chant”
Modern English
English
ponto
“A borrowed term for an Afro-Brazilian ritual song or chant”