noun
Humble term used to refer to one's own father when speaking to someone outside the family. Not used to address one's own father directly; for that, お父さん (おとうさん) is common. Compare with 母 (はは) for 'mother'.
See also: 母 (はは)
父は会社員です。
My father is an office worker.
父の趣味は釣りです。
My father's hobby is fishing.
The reading ちち is of native Japanese origin, with no clear historical derivation. The kanji 父 is a pictograph representing a hand holding an axe, symbolizing paternal authority, but this is a character etymology and not a word origin.