"P" Word Origins

Patmore

Origin

Habitational surname from Patmore Heath in Hertfordshire, from an Old English personal name *Peatta + mere (“lake, pool”).

patois

Origin

Borrowed from French patois (“regional dialect or language”), c. 1635.

paton

Origin

Scottish patronymic surname from a hypocoristic form of the personal name Patrick + Old French -on.

patriarch

Greek

From Greek patriarkhēs, built from patria ("family, lineage") plus -arkhēs ("ruler"), so literally "ruler of the family."

patriarchal

Late Latin

Borrowed from Late Latin patriarchālis, from patriarcha + -ālis. Sychronically analyzable as patriarch + -al.

patriarchial

Origin

From patriarchy + -al.

patriarchy

Greek

From Greek "patriarkhēs," the head of a family, from "patēr" (father) plus "arkhein" (to rule).

Patrice

Origin

20th century variant of Patricia, probably borrowed from the French male given name Patrice.

Patricia

Latin

From Latin patricia (“noble”); later also seen as the feminine form of the saint's name Patrick.

patrician

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French patricien, from Latin patricius, derived from patrēs cōnscrīptī (“Roman senators”). May also have been derived from Latin patricius + -ian

patrick

Origin

From Middle English Patrick, from Latin Patricius (“patrician”), the name of an early Irish saint. Doublet of Paddy.

patrimony

Origin

From earlier patrimoyne, from patremoyne, from Middle French patrimoine/patremoine, semilearned borrowing from Latin patrimōnium, from pater (“father”) + -mōnium (“state, condition”). First attested in 1513. By surface analysis, patri- + -mony. Compare matrimony. Displaced native Old English fæderġestrēon.

patriot

Late Latin

From French patriote, from Late Latin patriōta ("fellow countryman"), from Greek patriōtēs, ultimately from patēr ("father").

patrioteer

Origin

From patriot + -eer.

patriotic

French

From French patriotique, tracing back to the same Greek root as patriot.

patriotism

Origin

Formed from patriot plus the suffix -ism, denoting a belief or attitude.

patrol

French

From French patrouille, originally meaning "a night-watch" or literally "a tramping about," related to patte, "paw" or "foot."

patrolman

Origin

From patrol plus man.

patron

Latin

From Latin patrōnus, derived from pater ("father") — the same root that gives us pattern and patroon.

patronage

Old French

From Old French patronage, built from patron plus -age.

patronal

Origin

From Latin patrōnālis. Compare French patronal.

patronate

Origin

From Latin patrōnātus. By surface analysis, patron + -ate (noun-forming suffix denoting a rank or office).

patroness

Origin

From Middle English patronesse, from Late Latin patronissa, from Classical Latin patrōnus; equivalent to patron + -ess.

patronise

Origin

From patron + -ise.

patronize

Origin

From patron plus -ize.

patronless

Origin

From patron + -less. Piecewise doublet of patternless.

patronship

Origin

From patron + -ship. Piecewise doublet of patroonship.

patronymic

Origin

From Ancient Greek πατήρ (patḗr, “father”) + ὄνυμα (ónuma, “name”) (a variant form of ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”)). Also patronym + -ic, from patro- + -onym.

Patsy

Origin

Likely from a clipped form of the names Patricia or Patrick, with the informal -sy ending.

Pattaya

Origin

Borrowed from Thai พัทยา (pát-tá-yaa).

patten

Origin

From Middle English patyn, patin, pateyn, from Old French patin, from patte (“paw, hoof”), from Latin patta, of imitative origin.

patter

Origin

From pat plus -er, indicating a repeated action; ultimately imitative of the sound itself.

patteran

Origin

From Romani patrin (“leaf”), perhaps specifically from an inflected form like Vlax Romani pateryánsa.

patterer

Origin

From patter + -er.

pattern

Old French

From Middle English patron/paterne, from Old French patron — the same root as patron, but the two words split apart in meaning over time.

Patterson

Middle English

From Middle English Pate, short form of Patrick, + -son.

pattison

Origin

From a Middle English diminutive of the given name Patrick + -son.

Patty

French

From Pat (a nickname) plus -y; the pastry sense likely comes through French pâté, referring to a filled pastry.

pau

Origin

The "finished" sense comes from Hawaiian pau via Hawaiian Pidgin English.

paua

Origin

Borrowed from Māori pāua.

paucal

Origin

From Latin paucālis (“few, little”), from paucus, plural paucī (“few, little, a few, the select few, the oligarchs”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, little”), + Latin adjective suffix -ālis.

paucity

Latin

From Latin paucitas, from paucus meaning 'few', via Old French paucite.

Paul

Latin

From Latin Paulus, related to paulus meaning "small." A doublet of the names Pablo and Paolo.

Paula

Latin

Borrowed from Latin Paula, feminine form of Paulus (“Paul”).

Paulette

French

Borrowed in the twentieth century from French Paulette, a diminutive feminine form of Paul.

Pauley

Origin

From a medieval diminutive of the given name Paul.

Pauli

German

Borrowed from German Pauli.

Paulie

Origin

From Paul + -ie.