juncture

Where does the word "juncture" come from? It comes from Latin iungere, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Juncture’s story begins in Latin: iungere meant “to join.” The root of 'join', 'joint' and 'conjunction'. Within Latin, it grew into iunctura by ancient. A joining, a joint, from iungere. It reached English by 1400s as juncture. Settled as the English word for a particular point in time or a critical moment. Today, juncture means a particular point in a sequence of events, especially a critical one.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient iungere "to join", the root of 'join', 'joint' and 'conjunction'.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient iunctura "a joining, a joint", a joining, a joint, from iungere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s juncture "a particular point in time, especially a critical one", settled as the English word for a particular point in time or a critical moment.