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From the For-What-It’s-Worth Department.
Dictionary of Word Origins, Jordan Almond, agrees with the explanation that point blank is from the French for aiming at the white center of a target. Similarly, Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, WW Skeat.
Origins A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, Eric Partridge, agrees (sort of) with the French derivation of point blank:
{tracing the many descendants of the root pungere, to prick.} 8. L punctum, a point, a dot, becomes OF-F point, adopted by ME; in several senses, E point (n) prob derives rather from F pointe, from L puncta, prop the f of the pp punctus. “To point”, ME pointen, comes from MF-F pointer, from the OF n point. The adj point blank derives from the adv, itself perh from F de pointe en blanc, from a point into the white (of the target); point-device or -devise, from ME at point devis, at point exact, OF-MF devis, exact, fixed, from L diuisus, (sharply) divided.
Pungere has a surprising number of descendants, including TEd’s cousin, pun.
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted Bullseye maverick 11/17/00 04:46 PM Re: Bullseye tsuwm 11/17/00 09:12 PM Re: Bullseye belMarduk 11/19/00 01:15 AM Re: Bullseye wsieber 11/20/00 06:23 AM Re: Bullseye maverick 11/20/00 12:06 PM Re: Bullseye tsuwm 11/20/00 03:10 PM Re: Bullseye maverick 11/20/00 04:59 PM Whites of the eyes FishonaBike 11/21/00 10:32 AM Re: Whites of the eyes wow 12/25/01 06:56 PM Re: Whites of the eyes wwh 12/25/01 09:00 PM Point Blank Sparteye 12/27/01 08:10 PM Re: Point Blank tsuwm 12/27/01 10:31 PM Re: Point Blank wwh 12/27/01 11:06 PM Re: Bullseye Jazzoctopus 11/20/00 11:04 PM Re: Bullseye Jackie 12/25/01 05:43 PM Re: Bullseye wwh 12/25/01 06:21 PM re: a conjecture tsuwm 12/26/01 04:59 PM Re: re: a conjecture Capital Kiwi 12/27/01 04:57 PM
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