pal English · revision 10636

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1681|origins=rom phal|origins=sa भ्रातृ}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pæl/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is borrowed from English [[bor|rom|phal|t=brother, comrade]], pal,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) a variant of continental Romani phral, plal, pral,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) probably from Sanskrit [[m|sa|भ्रातृ|tr=bhrā́tṛ|t=brother]] (see [[brother]]).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) Barnhart notes that the l remains unaccounted for.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A comrade, mate or chum, also an accomplice: 1681–82.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The American Heritage note observes that pal, like buddy and chum, sounds thoroughly informal and American, though it came from the language of the Romani people,^(AHD) whose Indic speech goes back to the border region of Iran and India.^(AHD) The verb, to associate as pals, is from 1879, first with ''in'', with ''up'' by 1889 and ''around'' by 1915.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) ''Pally'' is from 1892,^(OED 1989) and the extended ''palsy-walsy'' is attested later.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1681–82 – a comrade.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1879 – to pal (verb).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1889 – pal up.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1892 – pally.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(informal)'' A [[friend]]; a [[chum]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # An [[accomplice]].^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To associate as friends, usually with ''around'' or ''up''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[palship]]

+ * [[pally]]

+ * [[palimony]]

+ * [[pen pal]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[palsy-walsy]]

+ * [[brother]]

+ * [[buddy]]

+ * [[chum]]

+ * [[mate]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}