Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “PA” come from?

PA (English) comes from English papa, from Portuguese papá, from French papa, from Middle French papa, from Old French papa, from Latin papa, from Ancient Greek παπᾶς, from Old Norse súla.

PA (English): Initialism of public address; Initialism of...

Definitions

  1. Initialism of public address; Initialism of...

Ancestry of “PA”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpapaDad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned...
2Portuguesepapádad; daddy; father; food
3Frenchpapapapa, a child's father; also as form of address:...
4Middle Frenchpapa—
5Old Frenchpapa—
6Latinpapaan infant's cry for food; father; bishop
7Ancient Greekπαπᾶςpriest
8Old Norsesúla—
9Proto-Germanicsūlizbeam, post; column, pillar
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱsewl-—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱsew-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱsew- →