From Middle English pawe, from Old French poue, poe, from Frankish *pōta (compare Dutch poot, Low German Pote, German Pfote), from Frankish *pōtōn (compare Dutch poten 'to plant'), from Proto-Germanic *putōną (compare Old English potian, pȳtan, Icelandic pota, Albanian putër 'paw'). More at put.
The word probably has an origin in baby talk: see ‘pa’.
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