Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “parrain” come from?

parrain (French) comes from Latin patrīnus, from Latin pater, from Proto-Italic patēr, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.

parrain (French): godfather; masculine of marraine; namer,...

Definitions

  1. godfather; masculine of marraine; namer,...

Ancestry of “parrain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinpatrīnus—
2Latinpaterfather; head of household; parent
3Proto-Italicpatērfather
4Proto-Indo-Europeanph₂tḗrfather
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd

Words derived from “parrain”

  • parrainage
  • parrainer
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- →