Where does “pastoral” come from?
pastoral (Old French) comes from Latin pastoralis, from Latin pāstor, from Latin pāscō, from Proto-Italic pāskō, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.
Ancestry of “pastoral”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | pastoralis | shepherd; pastoral |
| 2 | Latin | pāstor | A person who tends sheep; shepherd |
| 3 | Latin | pāscō | to feed, nourish, maintain, support |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | pāskō | to feed; to pasture |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂- | to protect; to shepherd |