Where does “pauperism” come from?

Pauperism derives from Latin pauper, from Proto-Indo-European ph₁w-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European peh₂w-, meaning to produce or bring forth.

pauperism (English): The state of being a pauper; poverty

Definitions

  1. The state of being a pauper; poverty

Ancestry of “pauperism”, step by step

pauperism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English pauper

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpauperOne who is extremely poor; One living on or...
2Latinpauperpoor
3Latinpavo-parsgetting little
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpau-smallness

via French paupérisme

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchpaupérismepauperism
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pau- →Every word from Latin pavo-pars →Every word from Latin pauper →