English
pagan
Pagan comes from Latin pāgānus ‘rural, rustic’, from pāgus ‘area outside of a city, countryside’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ǵ- ‘to fasten, fix’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂ǵ-‘to fasten, fix’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpāgus‘area outside of a city, countryside’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpāgānus‘rural, rustic’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pagan
- Englishearliest quotation 2019same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂ǵ-‘to fasten, fix’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpāgus‘area outside of a city, countryside’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpāgānus‘rural, rustic’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pagan
- Englishearliest quotation 2019same form
Earliest quotation: 2019, Paul P. Murphy, Louisiana arson suspect expressed disgust with Baptist churc: “Black metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music…”
The story
The meaning “not Christian” arose in Vulgar Latin, probably from the 4th century, owing to the Roman countryside being largely non-Christian, or potentially from the “civilian” meaning—denoting those not in the “army of Christ”. As a self-designation of neopagans, attested since 1990. Partly displaced native heathen, from Old English hǣþen. Note the opposition: pagan, peasant (related via pāgus), rustic, savage (<< Latin silvāticus), villain (<< Latin vīllānus), boorish vs. urbane, civil, courteous (akin to court).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ǵ- ‘to fasten, fix’
travel, page, pole, compact, peel, pale, propaganda, travail, propagate, pectin, pala, impinge, palisade, impactor, pagination, 29 more
through Latin pāgus ‘area outside of a city, countryside’
Today it means
adj Relating to, characteristic of religions that differ from main world religions.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ǵ- / pagan