Where does “pagan” come from?

Pagan comes from Latin paganus, originally meaning a rural inhabitant or villager, from Latin pagus meaning district or village, derived from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ- meaning to fix or fasten.

pagan (English): Relating to, characteristic of religions that...

Definitions

  1. Relating to, characteristic of religions that...

Ancestry of “pagan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinpaganusOf or pertaining to the countryside, rural,...
2Latinpagusdistrict, province, region, canton; area outside...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂ǵ-to attach
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ- →Every word from Latin pagus →Every word from Latin paganus →