punto

Punto is a common noun in Spanish and Italian that denotes a point, dot, or period. It derives from Latin punctum. In everyday usage, the term covers several related meanings: a precise position in space (a geometric point); a small mark on a surface (a dot or decimal dot); and the end of a sentence in written language (a period). In numerals, "punto" is used to refer to the decimal point, as in "tres punto cinco" for 3.5.

In phrases, punto appears in fixed expressions that describe location, viewpoint, or function: "punto de encuentro" meeting point; "punto de vista" point of view; "punto de mira" aim point; and "punto y coma" semicolon. In Italian, equivalent phrases exist such as "punto di vista" and "punto e virgola." In the domain of technology and the internet, the dot separating domain labels is read as "punto" in Spanish, so a web address is spoken as "ejemplo punto com."

Etymologically, punto comes from Latin punctum meaning a small mark or dot. Across its uses, punto remains a versatile term that helps describe positions, marks, punctuation, and discourse points in Romance-language contexts. It also appears as part of proper names and place names in various regions, where it may denote a geographical point or be retained as a nominal element.