peasant

The story

1. Late Latin · derived frompāgēnsis“inhabitant of a district”
2. Old French · derived from-enc“member of”
3. Latin · derived frompāgus“countryside”
4. Old French · derived frompaïsant
5. Anglo-Norman · derived frompaisant
6. Middle English · inherited frompaissaunt
7. English todaypeasant

From Late Middle English paissaunt, from Anglo-Norman paisant, from Old French païsant, païsan (“countryman, peasant”), from païs (“country”), from Latin pāgus (“countryside”) + Old French -enc (“member of”), from Frankish -inc, -ing "-ing"; which was an alteration of earlier Late Latin pāgēnsis (“inhabitant of a district”). Doublet of paisano. Via Latin pāgus cognate with pagan (compare typologically, see there for more).

Words from the same roots