Papá
/paˈpa/noun
An affectionate Spanish word for father or dad.
Did you know?The word belongs to a widespread family of nursery forms built from easy repeated syllables, which is why similar words for father appear across unrelated languages.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
πάππας (páppas)
“Daddy or father; an affectionate form used in child-directed speech”
Late Classical Latin
Latin
papa
“Father or bishop; an affectionate title that later became especially associated with the bishop of Rome”
Medieval Latin
Latin
papa
“Pope or fatherly religious authority”
Old Spanish
Old Spanish
papa
“Father or dad”
16th–17th Century
Spanish
papá
“Father, with final stress marked by the accent”
Modern Spanish
Spanish
papá
“Dad or father”