Where does “payola” come from?
payola (Tagalog) comes from English payola, from English pay, from Middle English payen, from Old French paiier, from Medieval Latin pacare, from Latin pācāre, from Latin pāx, from Proto-Italic pāks — to join, to attach; agreement, settlement.
payola (Tagalog): a bribe
Ancestry of “payola”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | payola | A bribe given in exchange for a favor, such as... |
| 2 | English | pay | To give money or other compensation to in... |
| 3 | Middle English | payen | pagan |
| 4 | Old French | paiier | to pay |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | pacare | to settle, satisfy; present active infinitive of... |
| 6 | Latin | pācāre | — |
| 7 | Latin | pāx | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | pāks | peace |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | péh₂ḱ-s | peace |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂ḱ- | to join, to attach; agreement, settlement |