Etymologically
Log in

par

Etymology and origin of the English word par

History Permalink
Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1601
Borrowed from
Latin par
Ultimate origin
Latin (par)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin par
English umpire
English par

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pɑː/ (UK); /pɑɹ/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin par (“equal, well-matched; as a noun, that which is equal, equality”),[2][3][4][5] a word of unknown and disputed origin;[3] Watkins suggests PIE Proto-Indo-European *pere- (“to grant, allot”), with a suggestion of reciprocity.[3] It is a doublet of peer.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Equality of value between currencies: 1622;[2][6] MWU dates the word to 1601.[5] Equality of value or standing is from 1662.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Equality between the market and face value of shares is from 1726.[6] An average or usual amount or condition, as in on a par, below par and up to par, is first recorded in Sterne's Tristram Shandy (1767).[2][3] In golf, the standard score for a hole or course, representing good play, is attested by 1898,[3][2] and par for the course, what can be expected, by 1928.[3]

Timeline

  • 1622 – the rate of exchange of currencies.[2][6]
  • 1662 – equal standing.[2][6]
  • 1767 – an average condition.[2][3]
  • 1898 – in golf.[3]
  • 1928 – par for the course.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. (golf) The number of strokes a good player should need for a hole or course.
  2. The usual or expected standard: feeling below par.
  3. An equal level or footing: on a par with.
  4. (finance) The face value of a share or bond.

Word family

  • no-par
  • subpar
  • par value

Usage notes

The French preposition par, by, for, appears in borrowed phrases and in words such as parboil and pardon.[3][7]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Par.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/par. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·