English word origin

Etymology of apay

From Middle English apaien, from Old French apaiier (“to appease”). See Latin pax (“peace”).

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In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

verb

To satisfy, please. · To repay.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English apaien, from Old French apaiier (“to appease”). See Latin pax (“peace”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionapaienenm
Derivation mentionapaiierfro
Derivation mentionpaxla

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "apaien"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English apaien"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "apaiier",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to appease"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French apaiier (“to appease”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "pax",
        "4": "",
        "5": "peace"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin pax (“peace”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "apaien",
      "apaien#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "apaiier",
      "apaiier#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "pax",
      "pax#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To satisfy, please.",
        "To repay."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "fa6f3bcb9a4fb4380508bcf928e445044b915182295362e732cb603996abe5f2",
      "rawRecordSha256": "7e8ba272b8f836bcdd5c80a18916e15d956b6dc13afb963946a14e611caaa35f",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1955951
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for apay →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-YXBheQ