Where does “pāda-” come from?

pāda- (Iranian) comes from Proto-Indo-Iranian paH-, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.

Ancestry of “pāda-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Indo-IranianpaH-—
2Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian paH- →
pāda- — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer