Where does “pawternity leave” come from?

pawternity leave (English) comes from English paternity leave, from English leave, from French lever, from Middle French lever, from Old French lever, from Latin levō, from Latin lēvis, from Proto-Italic leɣʷis — light.

pawternity leave (English): Time off work granted to an employee to take care of a pet, especially a cat or dog

Definitions

  1. Time off work granted to an employee to take care of a pet, especially a cat or dog

Ancestry of “pawternity leave”, step by step

pawternity leave traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English paternity leave

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishpaternity leaveA leave of absence from a job for a father to care of a baby
2EnglishleaveTo have a consequence or remnant; To depart; to...
3FrenchleverTo raise, lift; To rise, stand up; To get up
4Middle Frenchleverto lift
5Old Frenchleverto lift; to get up
6Latinlevōto raise, elevate, lift up
7Latinlēvislight, not heavy
8Proto-Italicleɣʷislight
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁léngʰuslightweight
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁lengʷʰ-light

via English paw

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpawThe soft foot of a mammal or other animal,...
2Middle Englishpawepaw; claw, talon; rough, vicious hand
3Old Frenchpoue
4Frankishpōta
5Proto-Germanicputōnąto stick, stab, poke; to push
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbud-to shoot, sprout; to swell
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁lengʷʰ-