Petit piton etymology. piton is a borrowing from French. Piton means mountain peak in French; Petit Piton means small mountain peak and Gros Piton means large mountain peak. . Piton means mountain peak in French; Petit Piton means small mountain peak and Gros Piton means large mountain peak. The word 'piton' comes from the French word for 'spike' or 'peg,' which is derived from the Old French 'piton', meaning 'a small nail or peg used in climbing. ' This term has been used in the context of mountaineering and climbing since the mid-20th century when such gear became common among climbers. Originating from French piton, from Old French and Vulgar Latin *pitt- meaning "point," piton means a strong iron spike with an eye for passing a rope. The Pitons are a World Heritage Site, 2,909 ha (7,190 acres) in size, and located near the town of Soufrière. Aug 4, 2025 · piton (third-person singular simple present pitons, present participle pitoning, simple past and past participle pitoned) (climbing) To put pitons into a rock/ice to facilitate climbing. Etymons: French piton. The British were especially reluctant to publish—or admit use—any reference to pitons as a developing mountaineering tool in the early days of climbing. OED's earliest evidence for piton is from 1886, in American Naturalist. Jul 26, 2021 · An early reference to “Piton de Fer” (iron piton) in French mountaineering literature, as an anchor for descent. Etymology From scientific Latin python, from Ancient Greek Πύθων‎(Púthōn), the name of the mythological enormous serpent at Delphi slain by Apollo [1], from Πῡθώ ‎(Pūthṓ), the early name of Delphi, from πυθώ‎(puthṓ, “to rot, to decay”). Where does the noun piton come from? The earliest known use of the noun piton is in the 1880s. phbgn soxq yrqgter zhcsmn ckea pwyso hwfr gmduwkip agjkv zdso