Page Names a Sheet of Paper and a Young Servant
A page is one side of a leaf of paper. A separate page was a boy in service.
A page is one side of a leaf in a book, and also a young attendant or servant. The two are separate words. The paper sense comes from Latin *pagina*, from *pangere*, to fasten — originally a column of writing fixed on a papyrus roll. The servant comes through French from Greek *paidion*, a little boy, and gives the verb *to page*, to summon, from the days when a boy was sent to find someone. The word *leaf* still names the physical sheet, of which a page is one face.
- A side of a leaf. *Page ten.*
- A young attendant. *A page boy.*
- To summon. *Paging a doctor.*
- Leaf — the whole sheet. *A leaf.*
- Latin — *pagina*. *The paper sense.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | page | A page. |
| Verb | page | Paging. |
| Noun | pager | A pager. |
| Related | paginate | To paginate. |
| Latin | pagina | A page. |
- Turn to page ten.Book.
- The page carried the train.Attendant.
- They paged the surgeon.Summons.
Parts of a book
- Leaf — one physical sheet, with two pages
- Recto — the right-hand page, odd-numbered
- Verso — the left-hand page, even-numbered
- Folio — a leaf, or a large page size
- Signature — a folded and gathered group of leaves
The paper sense is Latin *pagina*, from *pangere*, to fasten. The attendant is Old French *page*, probably from Greek *paidion*, a small boy.
What is the difference between a page and a leaf?
A leaf is one physical sheet; each leaf carries two pages, one on each side.
Why does paging mean summoning?
Because a page was a boy sent to find someone. The pager took its name from the same service.