Where does “pay-off” come from?
pay-off (English) comes from English pay, from Middle English payen, from Old French paiier, from Medieval Latin pacare, from Latin pācāre, from Latin pāx, from Proto-Italic pāks, from Proto-Indo-European péh₂ḱ-s — to join, to attach; agreement, settlement.
pay-off (English): A payment; A reward; A bribe
Definitions
- A payment; A reward; A bribe
Ancestry of “pay-off”, step by step
pay-off traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pay
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pay | To give money or other compensation to in... |
| 2 | Middle English | payen | pagan |
| 3 | Old French | paiier | to pay |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | pacare | to settle, satisfy; present active infinitive of... |
| 5 | Latin | pācāre | — |
| 6 | Latin | pāx | peace |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | pāks | peace |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | péh₂ḱ-s | peace |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂ḱ- | to join, to attach; agreement, settlement |