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
- Relating to, characteristic of religions that...
Ancestry of “pagan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | paganus | Of or pertaining to the countryside, rural,... |
| 2 | Latin | pagus | district, province, region, canton; area outside... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂ǵ- | to attach |
Words derived from “pagan”