From Proto-Indo-European*poh₂imn̥, *poh₂imen, an abstract nomen agentis formed from an ablaut of PIE root *peh₂-(“to protect”) and common suffix *-men. Cognates include Latin pascō(“put to graze”), pāstor(“shepherd”), Sanskrit पाति(pā́ti), Old English fōda and fēdan (English food and feed).