English

pay

/peɪ/
To give money or other compensation to in exchange for goods or services.

    Etymology graph

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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English payen, from Old French paiier (“pay”), from Medieval Latin pācāre (“to settle, satisfy”) from Latin pācāre (“to pacify”). In this sense, displaced native Old English ġield (“pay”) and ġieldan (“to pay”), whence Modern English yield.

    Etymology 2

    From Old French peier, from Latin picāre (“to cover with pitch”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishpayen
      • derivedOld Frenchpaiier “pay”
        • derivedMedieval Latinpācāre “to settle, satisfy”
          • derivedLatinpācō “to pacify”
    • derivedOld Frenchpeier
      • derivedLatinpico “to cover with pitch”

    Words built on it: paid, back pay, pay-for, pay-as-you-go

    Sources