Perhaps through the pointing of a weapon, or some other angular/pointed instrument at a map to denote a location?

We use point to mean a place also in English. (cf. "We stopped at a point file miles short of our final destination", "The train stops at Chicago and all poionts west".) Looking more closely at the Dutch definition of oord and the Grimm's entry on ort, I see that 'point', 'edge', 'corner', 'border', starting-point', 'end-point', and 'place'. It has a logic of successive meanings to me that kind of seemed obvious, but mustn't be to others. English place is from Greek, via French and latin, and referred originally to a πλατεια οδος (plateia hodos) 'broad street'; cognate with English flat.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.