Etymograph

English

pontoon

Pontoon comes from Latin pontō ‘ferryboat’, from pōns ‘bridge’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pent- ‘path’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pent-‘path’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*póntoh₁s‘path, road’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pontsreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōns‘bridge’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpontō‘ferryboat’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400ponton
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600ponton
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1959pontoon

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pent-‘path’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*póntoh₁s‘path, road’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pontsreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōns‘bridge’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpontō‘ferryboat’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400ponton
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600ponton
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1959pontoon

Earliest quotation: 1959, L. T. C. Rolt, Centenary of the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash: “Thanks to the previous experience of the chief performers,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pent- ‘path’

find, path, patrol, pad, faze, pontiff, pontifex, 14 more

through Proto-Indo-European *póntoh₁s ‘path, road’

sputnik, 8 more

through Proto-Italic *ponts

pontifical, 7 more

through Latin pōns ‘bridge’

pons, 7 more

through Latin pontō ‘ferryboat’

punt

Today it means

noun A flat-bottomed boat or other floating structure used as a buoyant support for a temporary bridge, dock or landing stage.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pent- / pontoon

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