Etymology, Origin And Meaning Of Pallbearer By Etymonline

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Origin and history of pallbearer

pallbearer(n.)

also pall-bearer, "one who with others attends the coffin at a funeral," 1707, from pall (n.) in the sense of "cloth spread over a coffin" + agent noun of bear (v.). Originally one who holds the corners of the pall at a funeral.

also from 1707

Entries linking to pallbearer

bear(v.)

Old English beran "to carry, bring; bring forth, give birth to, produce; to endure without resistance; to support, hold up, sustain; to wear" (class IV strong verb; past tense bær, past participle boren), from Proto-Germanic *beranan (source also of Old Saxon beran, Old Frisian bera "bear, give birth," Middle Dutch beren "carry a child," Old High German beran, German gebären, Old Norse bera "carry, bring, bear, endure; give birth," Gothic bairan "to carry, bear, give birth to"), from PIE root *bher- (1) "carry a burden, bring," also "give birth" (though only English and German strongly retain this sense, and Russian has beremennaya "pregnant").

The Old English past tense bær became Middle English bare; the alternative bore began to appear c. 1400, but bare remained the literary form till after 1600. Past-participle distinction of borne for "carried" and born for "given birth" is from late 18c.

Many senses are from the notion of "move onward by pressure." To bear down "proceed forcefully toward" (especially in nautical use) is from 1716. The verb is attested from c. 1300 as "possess as an attribute or characteristic." The meaning "sustain without sinking" is from 1520s; to bear (something) in mind is from 1530s; the meaning "tend, be directed" (in a certain way) is from c. 1600. To bear up is from 1650s as "be firm, have fortitude."

pall(n.)

Middle English pal, from Old English pæll "rich cloth or cloak, purple robe, altar cloth," from Latin pallium "cloak, coverlet, covering," in Tertullian, the garment worn by Christians instead of the Roman toga; related to pallo "robe, cloak," palla "long upper garment of Roman women," perhaps from the root of pellis "skin." The notion of "cloth spread over a coffin" (mid-15c.) led to figurative sense of "dark, gloomy mood" (1742). The earlier figurative sense is "something that covers or conceals" (mid-15c.).

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Trends of pallbearer

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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bachelorc. 1300, "young man;" also "youthful knight, novice in arms," from Old French bacheler, bachelor, bachelier (11c.) "knight bachelor," a young squire in training for knighthood, also "young man; unmarried man," and a university title. A word of uncertain origin. Perhaps it is fromaboutMiddle English aboute, from Old English abutan (adv., prep.), earlier onbutan "on the outside of; around the circumference of, enveloping; in the vicinity of, near; hither and thither, from place to place," also "with a rotating or spinning motion," in late Old English "near in tmagpiepopular name of a common bird of Europe, Asia, and America, known for its chattering, acquisitiveness, curiosity, and mimicry, c. 1600, earlier simply pie (mid-13c.). The first element is Mag, nickname for Margaret, long used in proverbial and slang English for qualities associatfiasco1855, theater slang for "a failure in performance;" by 1862 it had acquired the general sense of "any ignominious failure or dismal flop," on or off the stage. It comes via the French phrase faire fiasco "turn out a failure" (19c.), from Italian far fiasco "suffer a complete breabow[bend the body] Middle English bouen, from Old English bugan "to bend, become bent, have or assume a curved direction; to bow down, bend the body in condescension or reverence, to submit," also "to turn back" (class II strong verb; past tense beag, past participle bogen), from Prlooplate 14c., "a fold or doubling of cloth, rope, leather, cord, etc.," of uncertain origin. OED favors a Celtic origin (compare Gaelic lub "bend," Irish lubiam), which in English was perhaps influenced by or blended with Old Norse hlaup "a leap, run" (see leap (v.)). As a feature oAbyssiniaold name for Ethiopia, 1630s, from Modern Latin Abyssinia, from Arabic Habasah, the name for the region, said to be from Amharic hbsh "mixed" or Arabic habash "mixture," in reference to the different races dwelling there. In 1920s-30s popular as a slang pun for the parting salutadivinelate 14c., "pertaining to, of the nature of, or proceeding from God or a god; addressed to God," from Old French divin, devin (12c.), from Latin divinus "of a god," from divus "of or belonging to a god, inspired, prophetic," related to deus "god, deity" (from PIE root *dyeu- "to communicate1520s, "to impart (information, etc.); to give or transmit (a quality, feeling, etc.) to another," from Latin communicatus, past participle of communicare "to share, communicate, impart, inform," literally "to make common," related to communis "common, public, general" (see commoanecdote1670s, "secret or private stories," from French anecdote (17c.) or directly from Medieval Latin anecdota, from Greek anekdota "things unpublished," neuter plural of anekdotos, from an- "not" (see an- (1)) + ekdotos "published," from ek- "out" (see ex-) + didonai "to give" (from P

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/pallbearerCopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/pallbearer">Etymology of pallbearer by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of pallbearer. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved December 10, 2025, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/pallbearerCopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of pallbearer," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed December 10, 2025, https://www.etymonline.com/word/pallbearer.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of pallbearer." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/pallbearer. Accessed 10 December, 2025.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of pallbearer." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/pallbearer (accessed December 10, 2025).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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TrendingDictionary entries near pallbearer

• palisade
• pall
• Palladian
• palladium
• Pallas
• pallbearer
• pallet
• palliard
• palliate
• palliative
• pallid

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