English
pontiff
Pontiff comes from Latin pontifex ‘an ancient Roman high priest, state minister,…’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *pent- ‘to pass’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pent-‘to pass’root as named
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pontifaksreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpontifex‘an ancient Roman high priest, state minister, pontiff’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600pontife
- Englishearliest quotation 2007pontiff
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pent-‘to pass’root as named
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pontifaksreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpontifex‘an ancient Roman high priest, state minister, pontiff’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600pontife
- Englishearliest quotation 2007pontiff
Earliest quotation: 2007, Edwin Mullins, The Popes of Avignon: “In several respects John turned out to be an…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pent- ‘to pass’
find, path, patrol, pad, faze, sputnik, pons, pontoon, 16 more
Today it means
noun A member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs; a pontifex.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pent- / pontiff