"P" Word Origins

polyamorous

Greek and Latin

A modern hybrid compound of Greek poly-, "many", and Latin amor, "love".

polydactyly

Origin

From Ancient Greek πολυδάκτυλος (poludáktulos) + -y, from πολυ- (polu-, “many”) + δάκτυλος (dáktulos, “digits”), equivalent to poly- + dactyly or polydactyl + -y.^((Etymology 3))

polyester

Origin

A blend of poly- ("many") and ester, referring to the repeating ester bonds that link the molecule together.

polygamous

Origin

From poly- + -gamous.

polygamy

Greek

From Greek polugamía, from polús ("many") and gámos ("marriage").

polyglot

Greek

From Greek polyglōttos, from poly-, "many", and glōtta, "tongue, language".

polygraph

Origin

From poly- ("many") and -graph ("writing" or "recording"), originally referring to a device that recorded several measurements at once.

polygyny

Origin

From Ancient Greek πολύ (polú, “many”) + γυνή (gunḗ, “woman, wife”). By surface analysis, poly- + -gyny.

polymath

Greek

From Greek polymathēs, "having learned much", from poly-, "many", and manthanein, "to learn".

polymer

Greek · 1833

Coined by the chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1833, from Greek polús ("many") and méros ("part").

Polynesia

French · 1756

Coined in French in 1756 from Greek roots meaning "many" and "island," originally to describe the Pacific islands broadly before its meaning narrowed.

polyp

Origin

From Latin polypus (“a polyp, a polypus in the nose”), from Ancient Greek πολύπους (polúpous, from πολύς (polús, “many”) + πούς (poús, “foot”)). Doublet of polypus.

polyphony

Origin

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πολυφωνία (poluphōnía); equivalent to poly- + -phony.

polypus

Origin

From Latin polypus, from Ancient Greek πολύπους (polúpous). Doublet of polyp.

polysexual

Greek and Latin

From Greek polys meaning 'many' plus sexual, from Latin sexus.

polytechnic

French · 1794

From French polytechnique, coined for the École polytechnique founded in Paris in 1794, from Greek polútechnos, "skilled in many arts."

polytheism

Origin

From French polythéisme, from Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many”) and θεός (theós, “god”), corresponding to poly- + theism.

pom

Origin · 1900

Likely a shortening of "pomegranate," used in early-1900s Australian slang for English immigrants, possibly a jokey reference to sunburned skin.

pomace

Origin

[Alt: Red grape flesh and seeds] From Late Middle English pomis, pomys (“cider; pulp of plants pressed to extract their juice or oil”), probably from Medieval Latin pōmācium, pōmātium (“cider”), possibly a variant of pomaceum (although first attested later), from Latin pōmum (“fruit; fruit tree”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“away; off”) + *h₁em- (“to take”), in the sense of something taken off a tree) + -āceum (neuter form of -āceus (suffix meaning ‘belonging to; having the nature of’, forming adjectives)). Doublet of pomade, pomate, and pomatum. Sense 1.1 (“crushed apples”) and sense 1.2 (“residue from grapes”) were possibly influenced by Middle French pommage (“(cidermaking) apple harvest; apple orchards”) and French poma, pomas, pomat (“residue from apples”) (Northern France).

pomade

Origin

From French pommade, from Italian pomata (“ointment, pomade”), from pomo (“apple”) + -ata (“-ade, -ate: forming nouns”), from Latin pōmum (“fruit, apple”). Doublet of pomatum, pomate, and pomace. Early pomades tended to be various kinds of fat mixed with apples for a more pleasing scent.

pomate

Origin

From Medieval Latin pomatum (“cider, ointment”) either directly or via slightly earlier English pomatum, from Latin pōmum (“fruit, apple”) + -ātum (“-ate: forming nouns”). Doublet of pomatum, pomade, and pomace.

pomatum

Origin

From Medieval Latin pomatum (“cider, ointment”), from Latin pōmum (“fruit, apple”) + -ātum (“-ate: forming nouns”). Doublet of pomate, pomade, and pomace.

pomegranate

Latin

From Old French pome grenate, literally "seeded apple," from Latin pōmum ("fruit") and grānātum ("having many seeds").

pommel

Origin

From Middle English pomel, from Old French pomel and Medieval Latin pomellum, pumellum, presumedly via Vulgar Latin *pomellum (“ball, knob”), the diminutive of Late Latin pōmum (“apple”). Compare French pommeau, Spanish pomo, and Swedish pumla.

pomp

Latin

From Latin pompa, "solemn procession," from Greek pompḗ, "a sending" or "ceremonial procession."

pompadour

Origin · 1721

Named after Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764), the influential mistress of King Louis XV of France, known for her elaborate style.

pompeian

Origin

From Latin Pompeiānus, from Pompeius + -ānus. By surface analysis, Pompey + -ian.

Pompeii

Latin

From Latin Pompeiī, of Oscan origin, thought to derive from a word meaning "five," possibly referring to the town's five districts.

Pompey

Latin

From Latin Pompeius.

pompom

Origin

Alteration of pompon, from French pompon (“ornamental tuft”); of unknown origin, perhaps related to Old French pomp.

pomposity

Origin

From Middle English pomposite (“solemnity”), from Latin pompōsitās. By surface analysis, pomp + -osity.

pompous

Latin

From Latin pomposus, "stately, showy," ultimately from pompa, "procession" — the same root as "pomp."

pon

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese, where the character represents the sound of tiles being placed down.

ponce

French

Origin uncertain, possibly from French Alphonse, once used as slang for a "kept man."

poncho

Spanish

From Spanish poncho, itself from Quechua punchu, the traditional South American garment.

pond

Middle English

From Middle English pond, a variant of pound ("enclosure"), since a pond originally referred to an enclosed body of water.

ponder

Latin

From Old French ponderer, "to weigh," from Latin ponderāre, from pondus ("weight") — to ponder is literally to "weigh" an idea in your mind.

ponderosa

New Latin

From New Latin ponderosa, "heavy" — a nod to the density of the wood.

ponderous

Origin

Ultimately from Latin ponderōsus (“weighty”).

ponderousness

Origin

From Middle English ponderusnes, equivalent to ponderous + -ness.

ponent

Origin

Borrowed from Italian ponente (“west”), ultimately from pōnēns, present participle of pōnō (“to place”).

pong

Origin

Origin uncertain, possibly from a Romani word meaning "to stink."

pongo

Origin

From a Kongo word for "gorilla."

poniard

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French poignard (whence -ard), from poing (“fist”), from Old French poing, from Latin pugnus (“fist”).

Ponte

Portuguese

Borrowed from Portuguese, Galician and Italian Ponte.

Pontiac

Origin · 1700

The brand and several places of the same name honor Pontiac, an 18th-century Odawa war chief.

pontiff

Latin

From Middle French pontife, from Latin pontifex, originally a member of Rome's chief college of priests.

pontificate

Origin

From Latin pontificatus, from pontifex (“high priest”), from pons (“bridge”) + facere (“make”).