Where does “paw” come from?

Paw comes from Middle English pawe, from Old French poue, from Frankish pōta, derived from the Frankish verb pōtōn, which traces to Proto-Germanic putōną and ultimately Proto-Indo-European bud-.

paw (English): The soft foot of a mammal or other animal,...

Definitions

  1. The soft foot of a mammal or other animal,...

Ancestry of “paw”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpawepaw; claw, talon; rough, vicious hand
2Old Frenchpoue
3Frankishpōta
4Proto-Germanicputōnąto stick, stab, poke; to push
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbud-to shoot, sprout; to swell

Words derived from “paw

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bud-