English
palladium
Palladium comes from Ancient Greek Παλλάδιον, and goes back to Παλλάς.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΠαλλάς
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΠαλλάδιονPalládion
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPalladium
- Englishearliest quotation 1765–1769palladium
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΠαλλάς
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΠαλλάδιονPalládion
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPalladium
- Englishearliest quotation 1765–1769palladium
Earliest quotation: 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England: “The trial by jury is the Palladium of our…”
The story
The sense of "safeguard" comes from Latin Palladium (the image of Pallas that protected Troy), from Ancient Greek Παλλάδιον (Palládion), from Παλλάς (Pallás), an epithet used before Athena.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pel- ‘to drive, swing, shake’
film, felt, simple, simply, push, filter, powder, fold, complain, pulse, pillow, repeal, flaw, compulsive, pollen, expel, repel, propel, pelt, palate, peloton, palatable, tuple, wallow, pollinate, muffle, apoplexy, pulver, peplum, pillion, interpolate, palatal, 64 more
through Ancient Greek πάλλω ‘to poise or sway a missile before it is thrown’
Today it means
noun A safeguard.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek Παλλάς / palladium