pau

1. (masculine) stick
2. (masculine, uncountable) wood (material)
3. (masculine) blow

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpaw/

Etymology

Inherited from Latin: pālus

Cognate with Portuguese: pau

Cognate with Spanish: palo

In summary

From Old Galician-Portuguese pao, from Latin pālus (“stake”), from Proto-Italic *pākslos, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ǵ-slos, from *peh₂ǵ- (“attach”). Compare Portuguese pau and Spanish palo.