Pa
/pɑː/noun
An informal word for one's father.
Did you know?Unlike formal “father,” “pa” is generally treated as a nursery or hypocoristic form, so its history may reflect early human speech habits more than a traceable ancient root.
Etymological Timeline
Prehistoric language development
Human speech
*pa
“A reconstructed or imitated parental syllable associated with early child speech; not a securely documented word”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πάππας (páppas)
“A familiar form meaning “father” or “grandfather,” probably shaped by nursery speech”
Latin
Latin
papa
“A familiar word for “father,” later also used as a title for the pope”
16th–17th Century
English
pa
“An informal English term for “father,” likely shortened from “papa” or related nursery forms”
Modern English
English
pa
“A familiar or affectionate word for one’s father”