Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Pfaffe” come from?

Pfaffe (German) comes from Middle High German pfaffe, from Old High German pfaffo, from Latin papa, from Ancient Greek παπᾶς, from Old Norse súla, from Proto-Germanic sūliz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱsewl-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱsew-.

Pfaffe (German): cleric, clergyman

Definitions

  1. cleric, clergyman

Ancestry of “Pfaffe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanpfaffe—
2Old High Germanpfaffo—
3Latinpapaan infant's cry for food; father; bishop
4Ancient Greekπαπᾶςpriest
5Old Norsesúla—
6Proto-Germanicsūlizbeam, post; column, pillar
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱsewl-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱsew-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱsew- →