English
paw
Paw comes from Middle English pawe, and goes back to Vulgar Latin *pauta.
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*pautanext step skipped: Frankish *pōta
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400poue
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pawe
- Englishearliest quotation 1611paw
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*pautanext step skipped: Frankish *pōta
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400poue
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pawe
- Englishearliest quotation 1611paw
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his…”
Every English word from Vulgar Latin *pauta
Today it means
noun The soft foot of a mammal or other animal, generally a quadruped, that has claws or nails; comparable to a human hand or foot.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Vulgar Latin *pauta / paw