Padawan
/ˈpædəwɑːn/noun
A Jedi learner or apprentice in the Star Wars universe.
Did you know?George Lucas borrowed Padawan from an existing Malay word meaning “student” or “apprentice,” giving a sci-fi title an unexpectedly real-world lineage.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
padawan
“A Jedi apprentice in Star Wars”
20th Century
Malay
padawan
“A learner, pupil, or apprentice”
Earlier Malay usage
Malay
pada
“A term associated with being directed toward or attached to instruction in some historical usages”
Austronesian roots
Proto-Austronesian
*paDa
“A root associated with teaching or instruction in related descendant forms”