punctuational

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English punctuation

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālisbor.

Old French -albor.

▲

Latin -ālis

Old French -elbor.

▲

Latin -ālisbor.

Middle English -al

English -al

English punctuational

From punctuation + -al.

Adjective

punctuational (comparative more punctuational, superlative most punctuational)

1. Pertaining to punctuation. [from 19th c.]
2. (biology) Pertaining to punctuationism; taking place very rapidly, especially within a single generation or in a series of rapid steps. [from 20th c.]
   • 2011, Chris Stringer, The Origin of Our Species, Penguin, published 2012, page 156:

     So how could such a critical thing as language evolve in humans, and was its evolution gradual or punctuational?