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pastum

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word pastum

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1197
Ultimate origin
Latin pasta
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin pasta
French pâte
Latin pastum

Forms

pastum n (genitive pastī); second declension[1] The DMLBS records it beside the masculine pastus and the feminine pasta.[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin pasta (“dough, paste”), made neuter.[1][3] The DMLBS treats the three forms in one article and traces them, through Late Latin, to Ancient Greek παστά (pastá) or πάστη (pástē).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates the first record to about 1197, from Latham's word list of British Medieval Latin,[3] where it means dough.[3][2] Gerald of Wales complains of monks who demand pastum and pastillum from those who enter the monastery.[2]

Semantic evolution

It stayed a word of the bakery: British records speak of bread “or dough” issued as an allowance, of bakers and millers who steal dough or flour, and of loaves weighed by their dough.[2] In Poland it is recorded in the 16th century for the dough of loaves and glossed with Polish “ciasto”.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 1197 – First recorded in British Latin, for dough.[3][2]
  • 1216 – A royal writ grants hounds their allowance of bread or dough.[2]
  • 1327 – A London record speaks of dough laid on a baker's table.[2]
  • 1516 – A Polish chapter-court record weighs loaves by a stone of dough.[1]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) dough, paste of flour and water.[2][3][1]

Usage notes

Köbler also lists a medieval pāstum (with variants pēssum, poosum) meaning livelihood or the fattening of pigs, from pāscō, known from glosses.[3] Du Cange cites pastum for a pasture in a charter of 1196 from Marseille.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
Cite this entry

“Pastum.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/pastum. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·