Where does “paisano” come from?
paisano (English) comes from Spanish paisano, from Old French païsan, from Occitan país, from French pays, from Middle French pays, from Old French païs, from Medieval Latin pagensis, from Latin pāgus — to attach.
paisano (English): among Italian Americans and Americans of Italian...
Definitions
- among Italian Americans and Americans of Italian...
Ancestry of “paisano”, step by step
paisano traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Spanish paisano
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | paisano | a fellow countryman; a peasant; a fellow Jew |
| 2 | Old French | païsan | Alternative form of paisan; countryman, peasant |
| 3 | Occitan | país | country |
| 4 | French | pays | land, country, region, nation; country |
| 5 | Middle French | pays | land; country; region |
| 6 | Old French | païs | Alternative form of pais; country |
| 7 | Medieval Latin | pagensis | — |
| 8 | Latin | pāgus | district, canton, region |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | pāgos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂ǵos | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂ǵ- | to attach |
via Neapolitan paisano
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neapolitan | paisano | a fellow countryman or compatriot |