Palo
/ˈpɑːloʊ/noun
A Spanish word meaning a stick, pole, or wooden staff; also used in names of Afro-Caribbean religious traditions.
Did you know?Spanish *palo* comes from Latin *palus* meaning “stake” or “post,” and the same ancient root also gave English **pole**, **pale**, and **palisade**—all built around the idea of driven wood and boundaries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steh₂-
“to stand, make stand”
Latin
Latin
palus
“stake, post, pale”
Vulgar Latin
VL
*palu
“stake, pole”
Old Spanish
Old Spanish
palo
“stick, cudgel, pole”
Modern Spanish
Spanish
palo
“stick, pole; by extension, a blow or beating”