Etymograph

English

poor

Poor comes from Middle English povre, from Old French povre, from Latin pauper, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- ‘few, small’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂w-‘few, small’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpauper‘poor’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400povre
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1340poor

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂w-‘few, small’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpauper‘poor’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400povre
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1340poor

Earliest quotation: 1340, Laurent du Bois, Ayenbite of Inwyt: “...me vint of ane king to huam a poure…”

The story

Displanced native wantsome, Middle English unlede (“poor”, from Old English unlǣde), Middle English unweli, unwely (“poor, unwealthy”, from Old English un- + weliġ (‘well-to-do, prosperous, rich’))

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- ‘few, small’

few, fewer, pause, puppy, pupil, puppet, pose, pediatrics, pave, filly, pedagogy, menopausal, paucity, pupa, puerile, orthopedics, posada, 31 more

through Latin pauper

poverty, pauper, 2 more

Today it means

adj With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- / poor

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