punctiliar, a.
(pʌŋkˈtɪlɪə(r))
[f. punctilio + -ar1.]
Of or pertaining to a point of time; = punctual a. 5 e.
| 1906 J. H. Moulton Gram. N.T. Greek I. vi. 109 The Acrist has a ‘punctiliar’ action, that is, it regards action as a point. [note] I venture to accept from a correspondent this new-coined word to represent the German punktuell, the English of which is preoccupied. 1944 E. A. Nida Morphol. II. ix. 130 If an action is considered as a unit, occurring so to speak, at a ‘point’ of time, it may be considered ‘punctiliar’. In such a case an action which takes place over a considerable extent of time may nevertheless be looked upon as a unitary action of a punctiliar nature. 1964 ― Toward Sci. Transl. ix. 199 As a description of the kind of action involved in the verb, aspect serves to differentiate a number of contrasts, of which some of the most common are: (1) complete vs. incomplete, (2) punctiliar vs. continuous, [etc.]. |