An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Pfad
Pfad, m., from the equiv. MidHG. pfat (gen. pfades), OHG. pfad, m., ‘path, track’; OSax. *path is wanting; Du. pad, AS. pœþ, m., E. path. The word is unknown to East Teut., and thus the difficulty of determining its origin is greatly enhanced. The prevalent opinion, which is based on the supposition, probably correct in the main, that the words beginning with HG. pf and LG. p are borrowed, is satisfied with the phonetic similarity to Gr. πάτος, ‘path, road,’ to prove the fact that Pfad is borrowed from the latter. With regard to this point we have to take into account the þ of the E. word, which is assumed by HG., and which proves the existence of Pfad in G. before the beginning of our era. But Teut. has no such early loanwords of Gr. origin (see Hanf). As we have no data, we cannot decide whether the word was introduced through a foreign medium; it is possible the word was borrowed indirectly from Gr., but the assumption that it was adopted directly from Scyth. is equally valid; comp. Zend paþ (also paþan, panþan), ‘way.’ In the latter case it must have passed into G. after the primit. Teut. permutation; Hanf was borrowed before this period. Its primit. kinship with Gr. πάτος, ‘way’ (Sans. panthan, path, Zend paþan), must be decidedly rejected because Teut. f would correspond to p in the non-Teut. languages. Comp. Humpen.