"soft, velvet-like cloth," 1794, from French panne "soft material, plush" (15c.), earlier penne (13c.), of unknown origin; perhaps from Latin penna "feather" (from PIE root *pet- "to rush, to fly").
Entries linking to panne
*pet-
Also petə-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to rush, to fly."
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit pattram "wing, feather, leaf," patara- "flying, fleeting;" Hittite pittar "wing;" Greek piptein "to fall," potamos "river, rushing water," pteron, pteryx "feather, wing," ptilon "soft feathers, down, plume;" Latin petere "to attack, assail; seek, strive after; ask for, beg; demand, require," penna "feather, wing;" Old Norse fjöðr, Old English feðer "feather;" Old Church Slavonic pero "feather;" Old Welsh eterin "bird."