Where does “payess” come from?

payess (English) comes from Yiddish פּאות, from Hebrew פאה, from Proto-Semitic *piʔat- — side, edge, front.

payess (English): Sidelocks worn by Hasidic and Orthodox male Jews

Definitions

  1. Sidelocks worn by Hasidic and Orthodox male Jews

Ancestry of “payess”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Yiddishפּאותplural of פּאה
2Hebrewפאהa wig; a face; a sidelock
3Proto-Semitic*piʔat-side, edge, front
Every word from Proto-Semitic *piʔat- →Every word from Hebrew פאה →Every word from Yiddish פּאות →