Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “padre” come from?

Padre comes from Portuguese padre, from Latin pater meaning father, a title later applied to priests and clergy members.

padre (English): a military clergyman; a Roman Catholic or...

Definitions

  1. a military clergyman; a Roman Catholic or...

Ancestry of “padre”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianpadrefather
2Old Italianpatre—
3Latinpaterfather; head of household; parent
4Proto-Italicpatērfather
5Proto-Indo-Europeanph₂tḗrfather
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- →