English
Patronus
Patronus comes from Latin patrōnus ‘protector’, from pater ‘father’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ph₂tḗr‘father’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*patēr‘father’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpateras patris‘father’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpatrōnus‘protector’
- Englishearliest quotation 2016Patronus
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ph₂tḗr‘father’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*patēr‘father’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpateras patris‘father’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpatrōnus‘protector’
- Englishearliest quotation 2016Patronus
Earliest quotation: 2016, Lila Monroe: “When I’ve got something good between my teeth, I…”
first attested Rowling’s Harry Potter series; the term first appears in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) (as stated in the etymology)
The story
Rowling’s Harry Potter series; the term first appears in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- ‘to protect, to ward’
company, food, pain, feed, pope, foster, apparent, fur, pastor, companion, fodder, penetration, fad, pasture, papal, forage, accompaniment, panini, fatherly, pav, patrician, pannier, pantaloons, 59 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr ‘father’
through Latin pater ‘father’
papa, perpetrator, paternity, paternal, padre, père, perpetrate, pater, compere, patrimony, 18 more
through Latin patrōnus ‘protector’
Today it means
noun A person considered one’s protector.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr / Patronus