English word origin

Etymology of pau

From Hawaiian Pidgin English pau, from Hawaiian pau (“done, finished”).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 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 2

Original entry ↗

adj

done; over; finished

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

From Hawaiian Pidgin English pau, from Hawaiian pau (“done, finished”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionpauhaw

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "haw",
        "3": "pau",
        "4": "",
        "5": "done, finished"
      },
      "expansion": "Hawaiian pau (“done, finished”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "pau",
      "pau#Hawaiian"
    ],
    [
      "done",
      "done"
    ],
    [
      "finished",
      "finished"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "done; over; finished"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Hawaii",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "recordId": "2de97f15a078b804d9c00079c842e8cbf1f517280ecaa2b1f0735967bf01a7ed",
      "rawRecordSha256": "3210377b9f6deab57f09c7b4e9a9d5508abdc17e09b4c5a8fdbb47da26156873",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 507484
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

noun

Alternative form of bao (“baozi; Chinese steamed buns with filling”).

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

Borrowed from Chinese 包.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "zh:包",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Chinese\", \"term\" : \"包\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"zh\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"pau\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"pau\">\nBorrowed from Chinese 包."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "zh:包",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Chinese 包."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "包",
      "包#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of bao (“baozi; Chinese steamed buns with filling”)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Malaysia",
        "Singapore",
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "recordId": "ac41f2e9ae6aeb70aa222fd1fe1e68c375bda8cddbe3d0349aa5dd5284388de5",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8a34ffcaa08b9128a35add35f3ef2f197fa110643c8ba74a80a1fee8522b9290",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 507486
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
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    "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 pau →

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-cGF1