entry
poor
/pʊr/Lacking money, resources, or desirable qualities
From Latin, via Old French poor (Few).
from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, small”). Doublet of pauper. Displanced native wantsome, Middle English unlede...
from Latin pauper "poor, not wealthy,"
+1 more sourcefrom Old French povre "poor, wretched, dispossessed; inadequate; weak, thin" (Modern French pauvre )
+1 more sourcefrom Old French povre "poor, wretched, dispossessed; inadequate; weak, thin" (Modern French pauvre )
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, small”). Doublet of pauper. Displanced native wantsome, Middle English unlede...
from Latin pauper "poor, not wealthy,"
+1 more sourcefrom Old French povre "poor, wretched, dispossessed; inadequate; weak, thin" (Modern French pauvre )
+1 more sourcefrom Old French povre "poor, wretched, dispossessed; inadequate; weak, thin" (Modern French pauvre )
+1 more sourceA person described as poor was originally imagined not simply as empty-handed, but as someone who produced little. Latin pauper is usually connected with a pre-Latin compound meaning roughly “producing little,” blending the idea of small quantity with that of bringing forth; the exact older formation is somewhat debated, so the safest anchor is the reconstructed root *peh₂, “few, small.” Around 1200, Anglo-Norman and Middle English speakers used forms such as povre for people who lacked wealth—and soon for weak soil, inferior work, unfortunate people, and even spiritual humility. English once had native alternatives such as Old English earm and unlǣde, but poor gradually displaced them, leaving those words in the linguistic attic. The noun phrase “the poor” later turned an adjective into a collective social label, while pauper preserved the Latin spelling in legal language such as in forma pauperis, allowing someone without money to sue without court fees. Whenever we say “poor soil” or “a poor excuse,” we are carrying an ancient idea of something that simply brings forth too little.
The Story
A person described as poor was originally imagined not simply as empty-handed, but as someone who produced little. Latin pauper is usually connected with a pre-Latin compound meaning roughly “producing little,” blending the idea of small quantity with that of bringing forth; the exact older formation is somewhat debated, so the safest anchor is the reconstructed root *peh₂, “few, small.” Around 1200, Anglo-Norman and Middle English speakers used forms such as povre for people who lacked wealth—and soon for weak soil, inferior work, unfortunate people, and even spiritual humility. English once had native alternatives such as Old English earm and unlǣde, but poor gradually displaced them, leaving those words in the linguistic attic. The noun phrase “the poor” later turned an adjective into a collective social label, while pauper preserved the Latin spelling in legal language such as in forma pauperis, allowing someone without money to sue without court fees. Whenever we say “poor soil” or “a poor excuse,” we are carrying an ancient idea of something that simply brings forth too little.
Modern Usage
Humorously unable to afford necessities or tired of extremely cheap food.
Notable References
- “Too much month at end of the money”
Kin & Kindred
From 'poor'·Few, small; producing little; poor
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary