Origin and history of Patrick

Patrick

masc. proper name, from Old Irish Patraicc (Irish Padraig), from Latin Patricius, literally "a patrician" (see patrician). As a given name, chiefly in northern England and Scotland, in Ireland a popular name only after 1600, due probably to the Scots settlers in Ulster [Reaney]. The form was unsettled at first; the minor Caroline poet also spelled himself Patheryke Jenkyns.

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Entries linking to Patrick

patrician(n.)

early 15c., patricion, "member of the ancient Roman noble order," reputed descendants of the original citizens, from Old French patricien, from Latin patricius "of the rank of the nobles, of the senators; of fatherly dignity," from patres conscripti "Roman senators," from plural of pater "father" (see father (n.)).

In ancient Rome, contrasted with the plebeius (see plebeian). In post-classical times, applied to noble citizens and higher orders of free folk in medieval Italian and German cities (a sense attested in English from 1610s); hence "nobleman, aristocrat" in a modern sense (1630s). As an adjective, attested from 1610s, from the noun. Related: Patricianism.

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Paddy(n.2)

"an Irishman," 1780, slang, from the pet form of the common Irish proper name Patrick (Irish Padraig). It was in use in African-American vernacular by 1946 for any "white person." Paddy-wagon is attested by 1930, perhaps so called because many police officers were Irish. Paddywhack (1811) originally meant "an Irishman;" with the second element apparently added vaguely for emphasis.

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Brontë
Juliet Barker ("The Brontës," 1994), writes that their father was registered at Cambridge in 1802 as "Patrick Branty," which...Brontë name was spelt in a variety of ways, ranging from Prunty to Brunty and Bruntee, with no consistent version until Patrick...
Union Jack
Patrick was added 1801 upon the union of parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland....
Vanessa
Patrick, Near Dublin," 1820] As the name of a genus of butterflies that includes the Red Admiral and the Painted Lady, it...
leprechaun
[Patrick Sims-Williams, Professor of Celtic Studies in Aberystwyth University, Wales, cited at Languagelog] Commonly spelled...
asthma
"respiratory disorder characterized by paroxysms of labored breathing and a feeling of contraction in the chest," late 14c., asma, asma, from Latin asthma, from Greek asthma "shortness of breath, a panting," from azein "breathe hard," probably related to anemos "wind" (from PIE r
let
Old English lætan (Northumbrian leta) "to allow; to leave behind, depart from; leave undone; bequeath," also "to rent, put to rent or hire" (class VII strong verb; past tense let, leort, past participle gelæten), from Proto-Germanic *letan (source also of Old Saxon latan, Old Fri
salary
late 13c., salarie, "compensation, payment," whether periodical, for regular service or for a specific service; from Anglo-French salarie, Old French salaire "wages, pay, reward," from Latin salarium "an allowance, a stipend, a pension," said to be originally "salt-money, soldier
halcyon
"calm, quiet, peaceful," 1540s, in halcyon dayes (translating Latin alcyonei dies, Greek alkyonides hemerai), 14 days of calm weather at the winter solstice, when a mythical bird (also identified with the kingfisher) was said to breed in a nest floating on calm seas. The name of
salty
mid-15c., salti, "tasting of salt, somewhat salt, impregnated with salt," from salt (n.) + -y (2). The meaning "racy, sexy" is from 1866, from salt in the sense of "that which gives life or pungency" (1570s, originally in reference to words or wit); salt (adj.) also was used of l
thank
Old English þancian, þoncian "to give thanks, thank, to recompense, to reward," from Proto-Germanic *thankōjanan (source also of Old Saxon thancon, Old Norse þakka, Danish takke, Old Frisian thankia, Old High German danchon, Middle Dutch, Dutch, German danken "to thank"), from *t
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Dictionary entries near Patrick