Английский Этимологический словарь - pontiff

- 1596, "high priest," from Fr. pontif, from L. pontifex, title of a Roman high priest, probably from pont-, stem of pons "bridge" + -fex, -ficis, root of facere "make." If so, the word originally meant "bridge-maker," or "path-maker." Weekley points out that, "bridge-building has always been regarded as a pious work of divine inspiration." Or the term may be metaphoric of bridging the earthly world and the realm of the gods. Other suggestions trace it to Oscan-Umbrian puntis "propitiary offering," or to a lost Etruscan word, altered by folk-etymology to resemble the L. for "bridge-maker." Used for "bishop" in Church Latin, but not recorded in that sense in Eng. until 1677. Pontificate (v.) "issue dogmatic decrees" is first attested 1825.