Where does “papal” come from?
papal (Middle English) comes from Old French papal, from Medieval Latin papalis, from Ecclesiastical Latin papa, from Ancient Greek πάππας — daddy, papa; papa, daddy; father.
Ancestry of “papal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | papal | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | papalis | papal |
| 3 | Ecclesiastical Latin | papa | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πάππας | daddy, papa; papa, daddy; father |