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pas

Etymology and origin of the French word pas

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 980, Passion de Clermont
Inherited from
Latin passus via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (pandō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin passus
French pas

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pa/[1]
  • IPA: /pɑ/[1]
  • IPA (Canada): [pɔ][1]

Forms

pas m (invariable)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French pas, inherited from Latin passus (“step, pace; footprint; a measure of length”).[2][3][4][1] The Latin noun belongs to pandō (“to spread out, open by stretching”) (whence épandre), the step being the spreading of the legs.[2][5] The adverb of negation is the same word: “ne… pas” meant at first “not even a step”, used with verbs of movement, then “not at all”.[6][7][1]

Cognate with Occitan pas, Spanish paso and Italian passo.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The noun appears about 980 in the phrase en pas que “as soon as”, and as the movement of the feet in walking in the Chanson de Roland (1080): son petit pas “slowly”.[2][9]

Semantic evolution

Several Old French phrases measured speed by the step: sun petit pas “slowly” (1080), del pas “at once” (late 12th century); modern French has kept de ce pas “straight away” (1548).[2] Pas à pas (about 1450) continues pas pur pas (1180), and the 16th and 17th centuries added faux pas (1530, figurative 1606), pas de clerc “blunder” (1585) and céder le pas “to give precedence” (1651).[2] By metonymy the word meant a footprint (1160), the length of a step (1380), the slowest pace of a horse (1196), a dance step (1480) and the marching step of soldiers (1755).[2] From 1160–74 it also meant a narrow passage or pass, as in Pas de Calais.[2]

The use with ne to strengthen the negation is found about 1100 in the Chanson de Roland.[6][7] Pas without ne is found in questions from 1269–78 and in answers in the 15th century; it is very common in familiar speech (pas vrai ?, 1779–80, pas mal).[6][7] From the 16th century pas eliminated its main rival mie; this use is found only in Gallo-Romance.[6][4]

Timeline

  • c. 980 – En pas que “as soon as”.[2]
  • 1080 – Son petit pas “slowly” in the Chanson de Roland.[2][8]
  • c. 1100 – Ne… pas as a negation.[6]
  • 1160 – “Footprint”.[2]
  • 1160–74 – “A narrow passage, a pass”.[2]
  • 1196 – The walking pace of a horse.[2]
  • 1269–78 – Pas without ne in questions, in Jean de Meun.[6]
  • 16th century – Pas ousts mie as the main negative particle.[6][4]
  • 1530 – Faux pas.[2]
  • 1651 – Céder le pas.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A step: the movement of one foot in front of the other in walking.[5][1]
  2. A footstep, a footprint; the sound of steps: revenir sur ses pas.[5][2]
  3. The length of a step; a short distance: à deux pas.[1][2]
  4. A way of walking; a pace: au pas de course; the walking pace of a horse.[2][1]
  5. A step in dancing: pas de deux.[2]
  6. A narrow passage, a mountain pass or strait: le pas de Calais.[2]
  7. (figurative) A stage, a step forward: faire le premier pas, un faux pas, a blunder.[1][2]
  8. (technical) The pitch of a screw thread.[10]

Adverb

  1. not: with ne, the usual negation: je ne sais pas.[5][7]
  2. (familiar) Not, without ne: pas vrai ?, pas mal.[6][7]
  3. Non pas: not, strengthening non: non pas très grande, mais élégante.[7]

Usage notes

Older French used other nouns of small quantity the same way: ne… point, ne… mie “not a crumb”, ne… goutte “not a drop”.[1][4] Pas is now used alone, without ne, in much ordinary speech.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 7, 736a
  4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  7. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Pas.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/pas. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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