Pagano
/paˈɡaːno/noun
An Italian or Spanish word meaning pagan, heathen, or a non-Christian.
Did you know?Late Latin Christians used paganus for non-Christians, possibly blending its older sense of “rural person” with the military sense of “civilian” or “noncombatant.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pag-
“To fasten, fix, or join securely.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
pangere
“To fasten, fix, establish, or agree; the source of several later words involving binding or fixed arrangements.”
Classical Latin
Latin
pagus
“A rural district, village territory, or settled countryside.”
Classical Latin
Latin
pāgānus
“A country dweller or civilian, literally someone associated with a rural district or outside the army.”
Late Antiquity
Late Latin
pāgānus
“A non-Christian or heathen, as Christianity increasingly defined religious outsiders with this term.”
Modern Romance languages
Italian/Spanish
pagano
“Pagan, heathen, or non-Christian.”