An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Pflaster

by Friedrich Kluge

Pflaster, neuter, ‘plaster, pavement,’ from Middle High German pflaster, Old High German pflastar, neuter, ‘plaster, court-plaster, cement, mortar, floor of cement or stones’; borrowed, perhaps contemporaneously with Büchse, in the 8th century, from Greek-Latin ἔμπλαστρον (compare Italian empiastro, French emplâtre), ‘plaster,’ which in Middle Latin also assumed the meaning ‘gypsum’ (compare Modern French plâtre), and was shortened to plastrum; compare Italian piastrello, ‘small plaster.’ In the sense of ‘pavement’ Middle High German pflaster was first used at the end of the Middle High German period. Compare English plaster and to emplaster.