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Added 9 October 2026

papa

/pəˈpɑː/ noun

Latin root: papa Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about papa at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk.

Origin

From French papa, from Middle French papa, from Old French papa, from Latin papa, probably originally a reduplicated imitation of a child's early efforts at vocalising Latin pater (“father”). Compare Ancient Greek πάππας (páppas, “papa, daddy”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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