point-by-point

The compound 'point-by-point' is a modern English formation built from native elements. The word 'point' entered English from Old French, tracing back to the Latin 'punctum', meaning a prick or a dot, which evolved to signify a specific detail or item in an argument or list. The preposition 'by', of Old English origin, is used in its sequential sense, as seen in phrases like 'step by step'. The reduplication of 'point' creates a distributive pattern, a common linguistic strategy to emphasize thorough, itemized progression. Thus, the literal logic of moving from one detailed item to the next evolved into the modern abstract meaning of a meticulous, sequential analysis.

Structure: point + by + point - point: From Old French 'point', from Latin 'punctum' (a small hole made by pricking, a dot). In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning a single item or detail. - by: From Old English 'bī' (near, at, during). In this compound, it functions as a preposition indicating a successive relationship. - point: A repetition of the first morpheme, reinforcing the notion of individual items.