The word root ped- (usually in the combining forms peda-, pedi-, and pedo-) in English and various other Western languages has multiple Latin and Ancient Greek roots, and multiple meanings. Ped- (sometimes spelled paed-, pæd-, or rarely paid-, depending on the word and the language or dialect) is a root in English and many other Western languages, often with divergent spellings, such as pet-, pie-, pei-, etc.

Meanings

Ped- conveys multiple meanings, from different Latin and Ancient Greek root words:

  1. 'Relating to feet', in words (e.g. pedestrian, pedicure) derived from Latin pes, genitive pedis, 'foot', from the Proto-Indo-European stem *ped- with the same meaning.[1][2] Romance languages' words from this Latin root often take pie- spellings, as in medieval French and Italian piedmont 'foothill' (modern French piémont, Occitan piemont, Italian piemonte or pedemontano), and Spanish pie, pies 'foot, feet'. Many words in English and other Western languages relating to feet instead use the Greek-derived cognate pod- (e.g. podiatrist), and the Greek-derived -pus may also be used (as in octopus).
  2. 'Relating to children', from Greek pais (παῖς), meaning 'child',[3] which derived from the Proto-Indo-European stem *peu-, meaning 'small', 'young', or 'few'.[4] It is usually spelled ped- in North American English (as in pediatrics and pedophilia), and pronounced /pɛd/ or /piːd/ depending on the word. In Commonwealth English it is more often paed- (e.g. paediatrics, paedophilia), sometimes with a ligature as pæd-, and almost always pronounced /piːd/. Rarely in English, words from this root may take an initial paid- (e.g. paidology), or take only a ped- not paed- spelling (pedagogy).
  3. 'Relating to soil', from the Ancient Greek word for 'soil, the ground', pédon or pēdón (πέδον, πηδόν), and 'a plain or field' pedíon (πεδίον)[5][6]
  4. 'Relating to flatulence', from Latin pēdō (infinitive pēdere, 'to fart'), the root for words relating to flatulation in several Indo-European languages;[7]

In meanings 2, 3, and 4, the spelling remains ped- in Commonwealth English words that begin with these letters. Not all derived words do; e.g., petard (a small bomb) is from meaning 4, and entered English from Middle French pétard for the same thing (originally literally meaning 'fart', it remains an uncommon Modern French word for 'firecracker').

Relating to children

Commonly in English, it is from the Greek pais (παῖς), originally meaning 'boy'.[8] as well as 'child'.[9] Contemporarily, it is more associated with the word 'child'. Words derived from this particular root are spelled paed- most cases in Commonwealth English varieties (formerly with a ligature, pæd-).

  • Pederasty (paederasty), a relationship between an older man and an adolescent boy
  • Pediatrics (paediatrics), the branch of medicine devoted to the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents
  • Pedology (paedology, also rarely paidology), scientific study of children's behavior and development
  • Pedophilia (paedophilia), a paraphilia involving sexual attraction to pre-pubescent children
    • "Pedo" or "paedo", slang for "p[a]edophile"
    • Pedophile Group, a Danish organization active from 1985 to 2004
    • Pedobear, an Internet meme

Relating to feet

Meanings related to feet are from Latin pes (pedis, 'foot'):

A Greek-derived equivalent, pod-, is often employed instead, as in "podiatry". The Greek-based -pus conveys the same meaning, as in "octopus".

Relating to soil or plains

Ped- can also refer to soil. This root is from Greek pédon (πέδον, 'soil', 'the ground')

The derived Greek word and pedíon (πεδίον, 'field or plain')

Relating to flatulence

Another meaning, relating to flatulence, is from Latin pēdō (infinitive pēdere, 'to fart'). It does not appear in English except in loan words but is the root for words referring to flatulation in several Western languages, often in modified form such as pet-

  • Petard, an obsolete type of bomb used for breaching walls and gates
  • Spanish pedo and many other words in Romance languages that more literally pertain to passing gas

Other uses

It may also be used at the end of a word, as with encyclopedia (encyclopaedia), and orthopedics (orthopaedics).

Some common English words with this derivation include:

  • Pedagogy, the study of teaching and approaches to it; the theory and practice of education.

References

  1. ↑ Nostratica. *ped-. Accessed May 9, 2011, from http://indoeuro.bizland.com/project/phonetics/word10.html Archived 2011-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ EnglishWordInformation. ped- pedi-, -pedal, -ped, -pede, -pedia. Accessed May 9, 2011, from http://wordinfo.info/unit/2801/ip:3/il:P
  3. ↑ Search God's Words. (2011). The New Testament's Greek Lexicon. Accessed May 9, 2011, from http://www.searchgodsword.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=3816
  4. ↑ Online Etymology Dictionary. (2010). Pedo- Accessed May 9, 2011, from http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=pedo-
  5. ↑ My Etymology. (2008). Etymology of the Greek word pedon (πηδόν, πέδον). Accessed May 9, 2011, from http://www.myetymology.com/greek/pedon.html
  6. ↑ EnglishWordInformation. pedo-, ped-. Accessed May 9, 2011, from http://wordinfo.info/unit/1590
  7. ↑ Adams, Douglas Q. (1997). Indo-European Culture. Taylor & Francis, ISBN 9781884964985
  8. ↑ Marguerite Johnson,Terry Ryan: Sexuality in Greek and Roman Society and Literature: A Sourcebook, p.110
  9. ↑ "Liddell and Scott," 1968 p.585
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