Punctuate
/ˈpʌŋk.tʃu.eɪt/noun
To mark with punctuation or to interrupt something at intervals.
Did you know?“Punctuate” ultimately descends from Latin *punctus*, “a prick” or “a point,” from *pungere* meaning “to prick,” which is the same ancient root behind words like “puncture” and “point.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peuk-
“to prick, sting, or pierce”
Latin
Latin
pungere
“to prick or stab”
Latin
Latin
punctus
“a prick; a point; a pause mark”
Late Latin
Latin
punctuare
“to mark with points or puncts; to punctuate”
Middle English
English
punctuaten
“to mark with punctuation or divide into points”
Modern English
English
punctuate
“to mark with punctuation or to break up with intervals”