Etymology Dictionary

PAGODA,  An Indian idol's temple.  (Port.,—Pers.)   Spelt pagotha in Sir T. Herbert, Travels, ed. 1665, pp. 69, 393; pagod in Skinner, ed. 1671.—Port. pagoda, now generally pagode; but both forms are given in the Eng.-Port. part of Vieyra's Dict.   Corrupted from Pers. but-kadah, an idol-temple; Rich. Dict. p. 241, col. 2; spelt but-kedah in Palmer, Pers. Dict. col. 70.—Pers. but, an idol, image, God, id. p. 241, col. 1; and kadah, a habitation, id. p. 1175.   β. The singular perversion of the sounds may fairly be explained by supposing that the Portuguese connected it mentally with pagão, pagan (= Lat. paganus); for which see Vieyra, in the Eng.-Port. division.  It may be added that the initial Persian letter is sometimes rendered by p, as in Devic, Supplement to Littré. [†]

ADDENDA

'They haue their idols... which they call Pagodes;' Hackluyt, Voiages, 1599, ii. 253.   The allusion is to the people of Beejapoor, not far to the E. of the Portuguese settlement of Goa.