Etymology: In early use apparently < classical Latin pastillus a little loaf or roll of bread, a medicated lozenge, an aromatic lozenge used to freshen the breath < the same base as pānis bread (see pain n.²) + -illus (see -illa suffix). In later use partly < French pastille medicated lozenge (c1538), small pellet burnt as perfume (1629), and partly < its etymon Spanish pastilla small pellet burnt as perfume (1553 or earlier), medicated lozenge (1580 or earlier), small round sweet (1611 or earlier; 1529 or earlier in sense ‘odoriferous pellet for making scented water’, c1535 in sense ‘small tablet of red colouring for make-up’), ultimately < classical Latin pastillus (see above), but reanalysed at an early date as if < pasta paste n. + -illa -illa suffix: see also note below. Compare ( < Spanish) Portuguese pastilha (16th cent.), Italian pastiglia medicated lozenge (1620), small round sweet (1666 or earlier), small pellet burnt as perfume (a1712 or earlier; 1611 in Florio as †pastilli (plural), denoting a kind of pasty).In Romance languages the word was apparently associated with post-classical Latin pasta and its derivatives (see paste n.), but an etymological connection is unlikely in view of the comparatively late date of attestation of post-classical Latin pasta.

Etymology: < pastille n. Compare pastilled adj.