English word origin

Etymology of po

From Middle English po (found also in pocock), from Old English pāwa, pēa (“peacock”), from Proto-Germanic *pāwô (“peacock”), from Latin pāvō. Cognate with Dutch pauw, German Pfau. See also peacock.

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A peacock.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionpoenm
Inherited-form mentionpawaang
Inherited-form mention*pāwôgem-pro
Derivation mentionpavola
Cognate mentionpauwnl
Cognate mentionPfaude

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "3": "po"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English po"
    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "pawa",
        "4": "pāwa"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English pāwa"
    },
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      "name": "inh",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*pāwô",
        "4": "",
        "5": "peacock"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *pāwô (“peacock”)"
    },
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      "name": "der",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "pavo",
        "4": "pāvō"
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "pauw"
      },
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    },
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        "1": "de",
        "2": "Pfau"
      },
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    }
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      "po#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "pocock#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "pawa#Old_English"
    ],
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      "pēa",
      "pea#Old_English"
    ],
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      "*pāwô",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/pāwô"
    ],
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    ],
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    ],
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    ],
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      "peacock#English"
    ]
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      "glosses": [
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      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A chamberpot.

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

A diminutive of pot.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "lang": "Yoruba",
      "lang_code": "yo",
      "word": "póò"
    }
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

The police.

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

Clipping of police.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "police",
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    ]
  ],
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      "pos": "noun",
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

adj

Thinner; with more water added to dilute it.

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

From Hokkien 薄 (po̍h / po̍k, “weak”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mention薄nan-hbl · weak

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "t": "weak"
      },
      "expansion": "Hokkien 薄 (po̍h / po̍k, “weak”)"
    }
  ],
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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 po →

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-cG8