Online Etymology Dictionary

panties (n.): 1845, "drawers for men" (derogatory), diminutive of pants; meaning "underpants for women or children" first recorded 1908. Panty raid first attested 1952.
pantisocracy (n.): "ideal Utopian community in which all have equal rights," 1794, literally "equal rule of all," from Greek pantos, genitive of pan "all" (see pan-) + isocratia "equality of power" (see isocracy).
pantomime (n.): 1610s, "mime actor," from Latin pantomimus "mime, dancer," from Greek pantomimos "actor," literally "imitator of all," from panto- (genitive of pan) "all" (see pan-) + mimos "imitator" (see mime (n.)).

Meaning "drama or play without words" first recorded 1735. The English dramatic performances so called, usually at Christmas and with words and songs and stock characters, are attested by this name from 1739; said to have originated c. 1717. Related: Pantomimic; pantomimical.
pantomime (v.): 1768, from pantomime (n.). Related: Pantomimed; pantomiming.
pantothenic (adj.): denoting a B-complex vitamin acid, 1933, from Greek pantothen "from all quarters, on every side," from panto-, comb. form of pantos, genitive of pan "all" (see pan-) + -ic. So called because it was found in so many sources.
pantry (n.): early 14c., from Anglo-French panetrie (Old French paneterie) "bread room," from Medieval Latin panataria "office or room of a servant who has charge of food" (literally "bread"), from Latin panis "bread," from PIE root *pa- "to feed" (see food). Sense in English has evolved so far that its roots in "bread" are no longer felt.
pants (n.): trousers, 1840, see pantaloons. Colloquial singular pant is attested from 1893. To wear the pants "be the dominant member of a household" is first attested 1931. To do something by the seat of (one's) pants "by human instinct" is from 1942, originally of pilots, perhaps with some notion of being able to sense the condition and situation of the plane by engine vibrations, etc. To be caught with (one's) pants down "discovered in an embarrassing condition" is from 1932.
pantsuit (n.): 1966, contraction of pants suit (1964), from pants + suit (n.).
pantyhose (n.): 1963; see panties + hose (n.).
pantywaist (n.): "weak or effeminate male," 1936, from a type of child's garment with short pants that buttoned to the waist of a shirt; see panties + waist.
panzer (adj.): 1940, from of German Panzerdivision "armored unit," from Panzer "tank," literally "armor," from Middle High German panzier, from Old French panciere "armor for the belly," from pance "belly, stomach," from Latin pantex (genitive panticis) "belly" (see paunch).
pap (n.1): "soft food for infants," late 14c., from Old French pape "watered gruel," from Latin pappa, a widespread word in children's language for "food" (Middle High German and Dutch pap, German Pappe, Spanish, Portuguese papa, Italian pappa), imitative of an infant's noise when hungry; possibly associated with pap (n.2). Meaning "over-simplified idea" first recorded 1540s.
pap (n.2): "nipple of a woman's breast," c. 1200, first attested in Northern and Midlands writing, probably from a Scandinavian source (not recorded in Old Norse, but compare dialectal Swedish pappe), from PIE imitative root *pap- "to swell" (source also of Latin papilla "nipple," papula "a swelling, pimple;" Lithuanian papas "nipple").
pap (n.3): "older man," 1844, shortening of papa.
Pap test (n.): 1963, short for Papanicolaou (1947) in reference to George Nicholas Papanicolaou (1883-1962), Greek-born U.S. anatomist who developed the technique of examining secreted cells to test for cancer.
papa (n.): "father," 1680s, from French papa, from Latin papa, originally a child's word, similar to Greek pappa (vocative) "o father," pappas "father," pappos "grandfather." The native word is daddy; first use of papa was in courtly speech, as a continental affectation, not used by common folk until late 18c.
papacy (n.): late 14c., from Medieval Latin papatia "papal office," from Late Latin papa "pope" (see pope). Old English had papdom in this sense.
papal (adj.): late 14c., from Old French papal (late 14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin papalis "pertaining to the pope," from papa (see pope).
paparazzi (n.): 1961, from Italian Paparazzo (plural paparazzi) surname of the freelance photographer in Federico Fellini's 1959 film "La Dolce Vita." The surname itself is of no special significance; it is said to be a common one in Calabria, and Fellini is said to have borrowed it from a travel book, "By the Ionian Sea," in which occurs the name of hotel owner Coriolano Paparazzo.
paparazzo (n.): see paparazzi.
papaw (n.): 1620s, variant of papaya (q.v.), used from 1760 to designate the papaw tree.
papaya (n.): 1590s for fruit, 1610s for tree, from Spanish, probably from Arawakan (West Indies) papaya.
paper (n.): mid-14c., from Anglo-French paper, Old French papier "paper, document," from Latin papyrus "paper, paper made of papyrus stalks" (see papyrus).

Meaning "paper money" attested from 1722. As shortened form of newspaper, first attested 1640s. In plural, "collection of papers to establish one's identity, credentials, etc.," it is attested from 1680s. Paper chase is British slang from 1932.
paper (v.): 1590s, "to write down on paper," from paper (n.). Meaning "to decorate a room with paper hangings" is from 1774. Related: Papered; papering. Verbal phrase paper over in the figurative sense is from 1955, from the notion of hiding plaster cracks with wallaper.
paper (adj.): 1590s, from paper (n.). Figurative of something flimsy or unsubstantial from 1716. Paper tiger (1952) translates Chinese tsuh lao fu, popularized by Mao Zedong. Paper doll attested from 1849; paper plate from 1723.
paper-weight (n.): "heavy object used to hold down papers," 1858, from paper (n.) + weight (n.).
paperback (n.): 1899, from paper (n.) + back (n.). Adjective paper-backed attested from 1888.
paperless (adj.): 1938 of cigarettes; 1967 of banks; 1971 of offices, from paper (n.) + -less.
paperwork (n.): 1580s, "things made of paper," from paper (n.) + work (n.). Meaning "work done on paper" is from 1889.
papier-mache (n.): also papier mache, 1753, from French papier-mâché, literally "chewed paper," from Old French papier "paper" (see paper (n.)) + mâché "compressed, mashed," from past participle of mâcher, literally "to chew," from Late Latin masticare "masticate" (see mastication).
papilla (n.): plural papillae, 1690s, "nipple," from Latin papilla "nipple," diminutive of papula "swelling" (see pap (n.2)). Meaning "nipple-like protuberance" attested from 1713.
papillary (adj.): 1660s, from Latin papilla (see papilla) + -ary.
papilledema (n.): also papilloedema, 1908, from papilla + edema.
papilloma (n.): 1866, a modern Latin hybrid from papilla + -oma.
papillon (n.): 1907, as a breed of dog, from French papillon, literally "butterfly," from Latin papilionem (nominative papilio) "butterfly," perhaps from a reduplicated form of PIE root *pal- "to touch, feel, shake."

The Latin word is cognate with Old English fifealde "butterfly," Old Saxon fifoldara, Old Norse fifrildi, Old High German vivaltra, German Falter. The dog so called for the shape of the ears.
papish (adj.): 1540s; see papal + -ish.
papist (n.): 1530s, "adherent of the pope," from Middle French papiste, from papa "pope," from Church Latin papa (see pope).
papoose (n.): 1630s, from Narragansett papoos "child," or a similar New England Algonquian word; said to mean literally "very young."
paprika (n.): 1896, from German Paprika, from Hungarian paprika, a diminutive from Serbo-Croatian papar "pepper," from Latin piper or Modern Greek piperi (see pepper (n.)). A condiment made from a New World plant, introduced into Eastern Europe by the Turks; known in Hungary by 1569.
Papua: race that inhabits New Guinea, 1610s, from Malay papuah "frizzled." Related: Papuan.
papule (n.): 1864, from Latin papula "pustule, pimple, swelling" (see pap (n.2)). Related: Papular.
papyrus (n.): late 14c., from Latin papyrus "the paper plant, paper made from it," from Greek papyros "any plant of the paper plant genus," said to be of Egyptian origin. Proper plural is papyri.
par (n.): 1620s, "equality," also "value of one currency in terms of another," from Latin par "equal, equal-sized, well-matched," also as a noun, "that which is equal, equality," of unknown origin. Watkins suggests perhaps from PIE root *pere- (2) "to grant, allot," with suggestion of reciprocality (see part (n.)).

Another guess connects it with PIE root *per- (5) "to traffic in, sell" (on notion of "give equal value for"); see pornography. Meaning "average or usual amount" is first attested 1767. Golf usage is first attested 1898. Figurative use of par for the course is from 1928.
par (prep.): "by, for," mid-13c., from Old French par, per, from Latin per (see per).
par excellence: French, from Latin per excellentiam "by the way of excellence." From French par "by way of, by means of," from Latin per (see per). For second element see excellence.
para- (1): before vowels, par-, word-forming element meaning "alongside, beyond; altered; contrary; irregular, abnormal," from Greek para- from para (prep.) "beside, near, issuing from, against, contrary to," from PIE *prea, from root *per- (1) "forward, through" (see per). Cognate with Old English for- "off, away."
para- (2): word-forming element meaning "defense, protection against; that which protects from," from Italian para, imperative of parare "to ward off," from Latin parare "make ready" (see pare).
Parabellum (n.): proprietary name for a type of automatic firearm, 1904 (Mauser & Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken), from Latin phrase si vis pacem, para bellum, from para, imperative of parare "to prepare" (see para- (2)) + bellum "war" (see bellicose).
parable (n.): mid-13c., parabol, modern form from early 14c., "saying or story in which something is expressed in terms of something else," from Old French parable "parable, parabolic style in writing" (13c.), from Latin parabola "comparison," from Greek parabole "a comparison, parable," literally "a throwing beside," hence "a juxtaposition," from para- "alongside" (see para- (1)) + bole "a throwing, casting, beam, ray," related to ballein "to throw" (see ballistics).

Replaced Old English bispell. In Vulgar Latin, parabola took on the meaning "word," hence Italian parlare, French parler "to speak" (see parley (n.)).
parabola (n.): 1570s, from Modern Latin parabola, from Greek parabole "parabola, comparison, analogy; application" (see parable), so called by Apollonius of Perga c. 210 B.C.E. because it is produced by "application" of a given area to a given straight line. It had a different sense in Pythagorean geometry. Related: Parabolic.