Where does “paternoster” come from?
paternoster (Middle Dutch) comes from Latin Pater noster, from Latin pater, from Proto-Italic patēr, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.
Ancestry of “paternoster”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | Pater noster | our father |
| 2 | Latin | pater | father; head of household; parent |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | patēr | father |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₂tḗr | father |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂- | to protect; to shepherd |