Papa
/ˈpɑː.pə/noun
A term for father, especially in informal or affectionate use.
Did you know?Papa is one of the classic nursery words thought to arise from early child speech, and its near-universal sound pattern appears across many unrelated languages rather than from one single ancient “magic” source.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-language
Child speech
*pa-pa
“An easy repeated syllable used in early baby talk for a father figure”
Ancient Greek
Greek
pappas
“Father; also used as a respectful title for a priest in later Greek”
Late Latin
Latin
papa
“Father; later, an affectionate or honorific term, especially for a bishop or pope”
Old French
Old French
pape
“The pope”
Middle English
English
pape
“The pope; later influenced by forms like papa as a familiar word for father”
Modern English
English
papa
“Father, especially in affectionate or informal use”