From Old Norse punktr, from Middle Low German punct, punt, from Latin pūnctum (“point, puncture, moment”), from pūnctus (“pricked, punctured”), perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick, puncture, punch”), from Proto-Italic *pungō (“to prick, sting”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- (“to prick, punch”). Doublet of punktum.