Paella Is Not A Bone in Your Body Quiz

Answer: pawn

Like many other words that came into English through French in the Middle English period (which followed the Norman conquest of 1066), "pawn" comes from the Latin "pedo, pedonis" (in turn derived from "pes", meaning "foot"). The Latin word denoted a foot soldier, whereas the Anglo-Norman one, "poun", acquired the additional meaning of "most common chess piece", and subsequently (probably in the late 16th century) the figurative one of "someone that is being used or manipulated".

The Spanish word "peón" (laborer, unskilled worker), also used in English, has the same origin. On the other hand, "pawn" used to mean "an item given as security" has a completely different origin.

Answer: pavement

The Latin "pavimentum" (from the verb "pavire", meaning "to beat, tread") denoted a surface hardened by pounding, such as a floor made of small stones beaten down. The English term "pavement" comes from a similar Middle French word, which meant "roadway" or "paving stone".

In modern French and Italian, "pavement"/"pavimento" mean "floor". In British English, "pavement" is mostly used to mean "sidewalk", while in US English it generally means "roadway" or "road surface"

Answer: pagan

The Late Latin word "paganus" (the origin of the English "pagan") had nothing to do with religion, but came from the Latin word "pagus", meaning "village". It probably acquired its modern meaning in the 4th century AD, with the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire, when the urban population had mostly embraced the new religion, while the rural population still clung to the old, polytheistic one.

A pagan was, therefore, what we would now call a country bumpkin. In the Middle Ages, the word came to denote anyone who was not a follower of one of the three Abrahamic religions - though a variation of the word, "paynim", was also applied to Jews and Muslims. "Pagan" became synonymous with "heathen" (a word of Germanic origin), consequently taking on the negative connotation of "savage, uncivilized".

Answer: patella

This is, obviously, the word to which the quiz title refers. However, "paella" and "patella" are closely related, because the former word comes directly from the latter, which in Latin meant "small pan or dish". The Spanish "paella" and the Italian "padella" - both meaning "pan" - are also derived from this Latin word, which is a diminutive of "patina" (a broad, shallow dish or pan). The English term "patina", meaning the greenish rust that covers ancient metal artifacts such as statues or coins, has the same etymology.

Answer: palliative

Mostly used nowadays in a medical context, the word "palliative" came into English in the 15th century from the Middle French "palliatif", which in turn had come from the medieval Latin "palliativus". The latter stems from the Latin "palliare", the verb derived from "pallium", meaning "cloak". "Palliative care" is any treatment that reduces the symptoms of an illness without removing the cause: indeed, many common drugs and medicines (such as common headache pills) can be said to be palliatives.

Answer: patron

The Latin "patronus", from which the Old French (and subsequently English) "patron" is derived, comes from "pater", the Latin term for "father". Indeed, a patron - especially if it is a patron saint - comes across very much as a parental figure, or at least someone who protects and defends us from harm. If you have read the "Harry Potter" books, you will readily understand why the Patronus charm bears that particular name.

A patron of the arts, of course, is a person who sponsors artists, writers and other purveyors of culture; the term is also a synonym for "customer", someone who supports a business by spending his or her money there.

Interestingly, the English word "pattern" has the same etymology as "patron".

Answer: passion

Probably the most commonly-used word featured in this quiz, "passion" has its roots in "passus", the past participle form of the Latin verb "patior" (to suffer). The word's original meaning of "suffering" appears when used in relation to the torments endured by Jesus Christ, which in Latin came to be defined as "passio, passionis".

The modern use of "passion" refers to any strong, intense emotion - often, but not only, relating to romantic love: one can have a passion for books, cars or good food, not just a prospective partner.

The adjective "passive" is also derived from "patior", as someone who has a passive attitude (or the subject of a verb in the passive voice) suffers an action rather than initiating it.

Answer: pasture

The Old French word "pasture" - which, like many other such words, entered English in the 14th century - comes from "pastus", the past participle of the Latin verb "pascere". Another common word derived from "pascere/pastus" is "pastor", which, from its original meaning of "shepherd", came to denote a minister in charge of a Christian church or congregation.

The Italian word "pasto" (meal), which many English speakers know as the second half of the culinary term "antipasto" (appetizer), also comes from "pastus", and is therefore related to "pasture".

Answer: pavilion

Maybe surprisingly for some, the French word "papillon" (which in English denotes a dog breed) and the English "pavilion" have the same origin: both come from the Latin "papilio, papilionis", meaning "butterfly". The use of "papilio" for "tent" (often in a military context) dates from medieval Latin: indeed, a tent - usually made of fabric - may resemble a butterfly's spread wings.

The dog breed Papillon is so called because of its large, wing-like ears, reminiscent of a butterfly.

Answer: patent

The Middle English "letters patent" ("lettre patente" in Old French), denoting a document issued by some authority to grant a right (generally to land), comes from the medieval Latin "litterae patentes", meaning "open letters". In modern English, the "letters" part was dropped. "Patentes" is the nominative plural form of the adjective "patens", the present participle of the verb "patere", meaning "to stand wide open".

In Spanish, "patente de auto" is a car registration, while in Italian it means a driving license.

The "patent" in "patent leather" has the same origin, since something so shiny and glossy is laid open for everyone to see.