appointed
Meaning
officially chosen for a job or position
(of a time or place) arranged or decided in advance
Structure
Usage
she was appointed as the new director of the department.
the meeting is scheduled for the appointed time of three o'clock.
he felt a sense of duty in his appointed role.
Etymology
the word 'appointed' originates from the latin verb 'appunctare', which itself is derived from 'ad-' (to) and 'punctum' (a point). the core concept is that of directing attention or assigning someone to a specific, pointed-out position, much like marking a spot on a map. through old french 'apointer', meaning 'to arrange, settle', the term entered middle english, carrying the sense of fixing or settling something authoritatively. the modern meanings of being officially chosen for a role or being formally arranged evolved from this idea of authoritative designation and settlement.
Analysis
ap- (latin ad-, meaning 'to, towards', a prefix indicating direction or addition); point (latin pungere, meaning 'to prick, pierce', here in the sense of 'to direct attention to a specific spot or detail'); -ed (old english, a suffix forming the past tense and past participle of verbs, or adjectives from verbs).