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- — to scrape, shave, sharpen.
pfaffe (German): cleric, clergyman
Definitions
- cleric, clergyman
Ancestry of “pfaffe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | pfaffe | — |
| 2 | Old High German | pfaffo | priest |
| 3 | Latin | papa | an infant's cry for food; father; bishop |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | παπᾶς | priest |
| 5 | Old Norse | súla | pillar, column |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sūliz | beam, post; column, pillar |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱsewl- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱsew- | to scrape, shave, sharpen |