Etymology Dictionary

PALACE,  a royal house.  (F.,—L.)   M.E. palais, King Horn, ed. Lumby, 1256; paleis, Floriz and Blancheflur, 87.—F. palais, 'a palace;' Cot.—Lat. palatium, formerly a building on the Palatine hill at Rome.   'On this hill, the Collis Palatinus, stood... the houses of Cicero and Catiline.   Augustus built his mansion on the same hill, and his example was followed by Tiberius and Nero.   Under Nero, all private houses had to be pulled down on the Collis Palatinus, in order to make room for the emperor's residence... called the Palatium; and it became the type of all the palaces of the kings and emperors of Europe;' Max Müller, Lectures on Language, ii. 276.   β. The Collis Palatinus is supposed to have been so called from Pales, a pastoral deity; see Max Müller, as above.   Pales was a goddess who protected flocks; and the name means 'protector;' cf. Skt. pála, one who guards or protects.—✔PA, to protect, feed; whence Skt. pá, to protect, cherish; Lat. pater, E. father, &c.   See Father.   Der. palati-al (Todd), formed with suffix -al from Lat. palati-um; also palat-ine, q.v.; palad-in, q.v.