Etymology

From the form păduchi, from Late Latin peduclus < peduculus, variant of Latin pēdīculus (it was already attested to be used in a form peduclus by Petronius), diminutive of pēdis ‎(“louse”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pezd-. Compare Aromanian piduclju, Istro-Romanian peducľu, Vegliot pedoclo, Italian pidocchio.