How the word for Father has changed

The origin and history of some of the European / Indo-European words for father

B ← A   indicates that the word in language B has evolved directly
from a word in language A, or at least a very similar language. For
example, Persian did not evolve directly from Avestan, but the Old
Persian texts lack the more extensive vocabulary of the similar     
Avestan language. Alternatively, the word could be borrowed        
from another language. English is full of words borrowed from      
Old French.

Abbreviations at bottom of page
* = hypothetical, reconstructed

GERMANIC
WEST GERMANIC

English

father ← M.Eng. fader ← O.Eng. fæder ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Scots

faither ← M.Sc. fader ← O.Nth. fæder ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Frisian
   North Frisian
      (Island)

Faađer ← O.Fris. feder ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

   North Frisian
      (Helgoland)

Foor ← O.Fris. feder ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

   North Frisian
      (Mainland)

tääte, fider ← O.Fris. feder ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

   East Frisian

Baabe, Foar ← O.Fris. feder ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

   West Frisian

heit, faer ← O.Fris. feder ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Dutch

vader ← M.Du. vâder ← O.Du. fader ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Afrikaans

vader ← Dutch vader ← M.Du. vâder ← O.Du. fader ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Plattdeutsch

Vader ← M.L.G. vâder ← O.Sax. fadar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

East Friesland Platt

Vader ← M.L.G. vâder ← O.Sax. fadar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Kölsch (Cologne)

Vatter ← M.L.G. vâder ← O.Sax. fadar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Luxemburgish

Papp ← M.H.G. vater ← O.H.G. fater ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Moselle Platt Lorraine

Vater ← M.H.G. vater ← O.H.G. fater ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Rhine Platt Lorraine

Vater ← M.H.G. vater ← O.H.G. fater ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

German

Vater ← M.H.G. vater ← O.H.G. fater ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Yiddish

foter ← M.H.G. vater ← O.H.G. fater ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Alsace German

Vàtter ← M.H.G. vater ← O.H.G. fater ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Swiss German

Vatter ← M.H.G. vater ← O.H.G. fater ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Swabian

Vadr ← M.H.G. vater ← O.H.G. fater ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Bavarian

Voda ← M.H.G. vater ← O.H.G. fater ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fader ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


NORTH GERMANIC

Icelandic

faðir ← O.N. faðir ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Faroese

faðir ← O.N. faðir ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Norwegian (Nynorsk)   

far ← O.N. faðir ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Norwegian

far ← Rec.Dan. Fader ← O.Dan. fathær ← O.N. faðir ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Danish

far ← Rec.Dan. Fader ← O.Dan. fathær ← O.N. faðir ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Swedish

far ← Rec.Sw. fader ← O.Sw. faþir ← O.N. faðir ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


EAST GERMANIC

Gothic (extinct)

atta, fadar ← Pr.Gmc. *fadēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


CELTIC
GOIDELIC

Irish

athair ← Rec.Ir. athair ← O.Ir. athir ← Pr.Clt. *φatīr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Scottish Gaelic

athair ← O.Ir. athir ← Pr.Clt. *φatīr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Manx

ayr ← O.Ir. athir ← Pr.Clt. *φatīr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


BRITTONIC

Welsh

tad ← E.Mod.W. tat ← M.W. tat ← O.W. tat ← Pr.Brit. *tat, *tatos ← Pr.Clt. *φatīr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Cornish

tas ← K.K. tas ← Uni.C. tas ← Lt.C. seera, taze ← M.C. tas ← O.C. tat ← Pr.Brit. *tat, *tatos ← Pr.Clt. *φatīr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Breton

tad ← Rec.Br. tad ← M.Br. tat ← Pr.Brit. *tat, *tatos ← Pr.Clt. *φatīr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


GAULISH

Gaulish (extinct)

tat-, atir ← Pr.Clt. *φatīr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


ROMANCE
WEST ROMANCE

Walloon

pere ← O.Fr. pere, paire, pedre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Picard

père ← O.Fr. pere, paire, pedre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Guernsey French

père ← O.N.Fr. pere ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Jersey French

péthe ← O.N.Fr. pere ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Gallo

pére ← O.Fr. pere, paire, pedre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

French

père ← O.Fr. pere, paire, pedre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Haitian Creole

papa ← French père ← O.Fr. pere, paire, pedre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Auvergnat

paire ← O.Pr. paire ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Gascon

pair ← O.Pr. paire ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Aranese

pair ← O.Pr. paire ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Aragonese

pai ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Asturian

padre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Galician

pai ← O.Gal./Port. pay ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Portuguese

pai ← O.Gal./Port. pay ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Spanish

padre ← O.Sp. padre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Valencian

pare ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Catalan

pare ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Occitan

paire ← O.Pr. paire ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Provençal

paire ← O.Pr. paire ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Francoprovençal

pâre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Romansch

bab ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

    Sursilvan Romansch

bab ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

    Sutsilvan Romansch

bab ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

    Surmiran Romansch

bab ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

    Upper Engadine Romansch

bap ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

    Lower Engadine Romansch

bap ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Ladin

pere ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Friulan

pari ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Monégasque

paire ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Ligurian

poæ ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Piedmontese

pare ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Lombard

pàder ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Emilian

pèder ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Venetian

pare ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


ITALO-ROMANCE

Italian

padre ← O.It. patre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Corsican

babbu ← O.It. patre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Neapolitan

pàte ← O.It. patre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Sicilian

patri ← O.It. patre ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


DALMATIAN ROMANCE

Vegliot

tuota ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


BALKAN ROMANCE

Romanian

tată ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


SOUTHERN ROMANCE

Sardinian

babbu ← Lat. patrem, pater ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


GREEK

Greek

patéras ← Anc.Gk. patēr ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


ANATOLIAN

Hittite (extinct)

attas ← Pr.I.E. *atta, *ph2tér


ARMENIAN

Western Armenian

hayr ← O.Arm. hayr ← Pr.Arm. *hayir, *hatir ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Eastern Armenian

hayr ← O.Arm. hayr ← Pr.Arm. *hayir, *hatir ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


ALBANIAN

Albanian

atë ← Pr.I.E. *atta, *ph2tér


Kosovo Albanian

babë ← Pr.I.E. *atta, *ph2tér


IRANIAN

Persian

pedar ← Av. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Kurdish

aba ← Av. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Pashto

plār ← Av. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


INDIC
NORTHERN INDIC

Nepali

bābu ← Pa. pitu ← Skt. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


WESTERN INDIC

Romani

dad ← Pa. pitu ← Skt. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Marathi

bāp ← Pa. pitu ← Skt. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Gujarati

bāp ← Pa. pitu ← Skt. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


CENTRAL INDIC

Hindi

pitā ← Pa. pitu ← Skt. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Urdu

vālid ← Pa. pitu ← Skt. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


EASTERN INDIC

Bengali

baba ← Pa. pitu ← Skt. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


SOUTHERN INDIC

Sinhalese

tāttā ← Pa. pitu ← Skt. pitar- ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


SLAVIC
WEST SLAVIC

Kashubian

òjc ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Polish

ojciec ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Lower Sorbian

nan ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Upper Sorbian

nan ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Czech

otec ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Slovak

otec ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


SOUTH SLAVIC

Slovene

oče ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Croatian

otac ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Bosnian

otac ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Serbian

otac ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Macedonian

tatko ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Bulgarian

bašta ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


EAST SLAVIC

Russian

atjec ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Belarusian

bac’ka ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Ukrainian

bat’ko ← O.C.S. otĭcĭ ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


BALTIC

Lithuanian

tėvas ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér

Latvian

tēvs ← Lt.I.E. *pətér ← Pr.I.E. *ph2tér


FINNO-UGRIAN

Estonian

isa ← Pr.Fi. *icä ← Pr.Ur. *ićä

Finnish

isä ← Pr.Fi. *icä ← Pr.Ur. *ićä

Sami

áhčči ← Pr.Ur. *att3
where 3 is an indeterminate vowel

Erzya

tetja

Komi (Zyrian)

bat’

Mansi (Vogul)

jah

Hungarian

apa, atya ← Pr.Ur. *att3
where 3 is an indeterminate vowel


BASQUE

Basque

aita


SEMITIC

Maltese

missier

Arabic

’ab

Hebrew

av ← O.T.H. ābh

Aramaic

baba ← N.T.A. ’abhā’

Babylonian (extinct)

abu


TURKIC

Turkish

baba

Azerbaijani

ata




My other websites:
Languages of the World
New Nutshell
Christianity in a Nutshell

My wife's websites:
Meaning of Life
Bits


I’d like to share with you why I think Christianity is such a great religion. A person who lives to 70 has a life of 613,200 hours. Christianity promises that the next life will be in ideal surroundings with friendly, happy people. There will be perfect health and no crime. Of course you’re free to reject the offer of eternal life.

Isn’t it worth, though, spending at least part of one of your 613,200 hours just checking it out. Then if you reject it, at least you’ll have made an informed decision. Is it just possible that your world view could be wrong and Christianity might actually be true? Where would that leave you if you choose to turn down the offer of heaven?


These are some of my wife's thoughts and ideas:





Jesus said, "For God loved the world so much that He gave
his only Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."


John 3,16




ABBREVIATIONS

Anc.Gk. = Ancient Greek (700 B.C. - 450 A.D.)
Av. = Avestan (600 B.C. - 400 B.C.)
E.Mod.W. = Early Modern Welsh (1450 - 1600)
K.K. = Kernewek Kemmyn - "Common Cornish" (1986 - 2008)
Lat. = Latin (75 B.C. - 250 A.D.)
Lt.C. = Late Cornish (1600 - 1891)
Lt.I.E. = Late Indo-European (2,500 B.C. - 2,000 B.C.)
M.Br. = Middle Breton (1100 - 1650)
M.C. = Middle Cornish (1200 - 1600)
M.Du. = Middle Dutch (1150 - 1500)
M.Eng. = Middle English (1150 - 1450)
M.H.G. = Middle High German (1050 - 1350)
M.L.G. = Middle Low German (1200 - 1600)
M.Sc. = Middle Scots (1450 - 1700)
M.W. = Middle Welsh (1200 - 1450)
N.T.A. = New Testament Aramaic (1st century A.D.)
O.Arm. = Old Armenian (450 - 1050)
O.Br. = Old Breton (800 - 1100)
O.C. = Old Cornish (850- 1200)
O.C.S. = Old Church Slavonic (850 - 1050)
O.Dan. = Old Danish (1100 - 1536)
O.Du. = Old Dutch (450 - 1150)
O.Eng. = Old English (650 - 1150)
O.Fr. = Old French (750 - 1350)
O.Fris. = Old Frisian (750 - 1500)
O.Gal./Port. = Old Galician / Old Portuguese (775 - 1050)
O.H.G. = Old High German (400 - 1050)
O.Ir. = Old Irish (550 - 950)
O.It. = Old Italian (1150 - 1350)
O.N. = Old Norse (750 - 1350)
O.N.F. = Old Norman French (1000 - 1450)
O.Nth. = Old Northumbrian (650 - 1000)
O.Pol. = Old Polish (950 - 1550)
O.Pr. = Old Provençal (900 - 1400)
O.Sax. = Old Saxon (750 - 1150)
O.Sp. = Old Spanish (950 - 1400)
O.Sw. = Old Swedish (1225 - 1526)
O.T.H. = Old Testament Hebrew (1200 B.C. - 200 A.D.)
O.W. = Old Welsh (800 - 1200)
Pa. = Pali (50 B.C. - 400 A.D.)
Pr.Arm. = Proto-Armenian (c.1200 B.C.)
Pr.Brit. = Proto-Brittonic (500 B.C. - 550 A.D.)
Pr.Clt. = Proto-Celtic (1300 B.C. - 800 B.C.)
Pr.Fi. = Proto-Finnic (1200 B.C. - 800 A.D.)
Pr.Gmc. = Proto-Germanic (500 B.C. - 150 A.D.)
Pr.I.E. = Proto-Indo-European (4,500 B.C. - 2,500 B.C.)
Pr.It. = Proto-Italic (1,700 B.C. - 700 B.C.)
Pr.Ug. = Proto-Ugric (2000 B.C. - 1000 B.C.)
Pr.Ur. = Proto-Uralic (pre-2000 B.C.)
Pr.W.Gmc. = Proto-West Germanic (150 A.D. - 400 A.D.)
Rec.Br. = Recent Breton (pre-1941)
Rec.Dan. = Recent Danish (pre-1948)
Rec.Ir. = Recent Irish (pre-1947)
Skt. = Sanskrit (1,500 B.C. - 500 B.C.)
Uni.C. = Unified Cornish (1929 - 2008)
V.Lat. = Vulgar Latin (50 B.C. - 650 A.D.)


* = hypothetical, reconstructed


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