Pastoral
/ˈpæs.tər.əl/noun
Relating to the countryside, shepherds, or a simple rural life; in music or art, evoking rural calm.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from the same Latin root as “pasture,” and in older religious and literary traditions the shepherd was a loaded symbol of guidance, care, and sacred authority.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pa-
“to feed, tend, protect”
Latin
Latin
pastor
“shepherd; one who feeds or tends animals”
Late Latin
Latin
pastoralis
“of or belonging to a shepherd”
Old French
Old French
pastoral
“of shepherds or rural life”
Middle English
English
pastoral
“relating to shepherds or the countryside”
Modern English
English
pastoral
“relating to the countryside, shepherds, or an idealized rural life”
Explore more surprising origins