Etymologically
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paco

Etymology and origin of the Latin word paco

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (pāx)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpaː.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpaː.ko][1]

Forms

pācō (present infinitive pācāre, perfect active pācāvī, supine pācātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from pāx “peace” with the verb suffix -ō.[2][1][3] The TLL notes that the spelling ⟨pak-⟩ of the Duenos inscription may belong here.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero, of imposing a settlement on peoples.[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to bring into a state of peace, pacify, impose a settlement on territories and peoples, usually after conquest, as Cicero's pācāre Amānum and Caesar's pacification of Gaul.[2][3][6] Figuratively it meant to tame land by cultivation, as Horace's wild woods tamed by the ploughshare, and to subdue individuals.[2][6] Lewis and Short add to soothe, quiet.[3]

Medieval Latin used pācāre especially of satisfying a creditor, and through Old French paier it gave English pay about 1200, first meaning “to appease, pacify, satisfy”.[7] It survives in Italian pagare, Spanish and Portuguese pagar and French payer.[1]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of pacifying Mount Amanus.[2][3][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of Gaul.[3][6][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of taming land.[2][5]
  • c. 1200 – English pay is recorded, through Old French.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To pacify, impose a settlement on, subdue.[2]
  2. To tame land by cultivation.[2]
  3. To bring under control.[2]
  4. (Medieval Latin) To satisfy a creditor, pay.[7]

Word family

  • impacatus
  • pācātiō
  • pācātōrius
  • perpācō
  • pācātor
  • compācō
  • pācātē
  • pācātum
  • pācātus

Usage notes

An archaic pacō, pacere “to agree”, the base of pacīscor, appears in the Law of the Twelve Tables: nī cum eō pacit, taliō estō “unless he comes to terms with him, let there be retaliation”.[2][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Paco.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/paco. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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