poynaunt

Middle English

FWOTD – 17 October 2019

Alternative forms

• poynant, punyant, ponyaunt, pugnaunt, ponyawnt, poignaunte

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman puignant; equivalent to poynen +‎ -ant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpui̯nau̯nt/, /ˈpui̯nant/

Adjective

poynaunt

1. Sour or acidic to the taste.
   • c. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “General Prologue”, in The Canterbury Tales, lines 353-354:

     Wo was his cook, but if his ſauce were / Poynaunt and ſhaꝛp, and redy al his geere.

     Woe to his cook, except if his sauce was / sour and sharp, and all his equipment was ready.

2. Stabbing; having a sharp, spiky point.
3. Causing fright; upsetting, horrifying.

Descendants

• English: poignant

References

• “poinaunt, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-04-24.