Where does “peasant” come from?
Peasant comes from Middle English paissaunt, from Anglo-Norman paisant, from Middle French païsant, from Old French païsan, derived from Latin pagus meaning district or countryside, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ-.
peasant (English): A member of the lowly social class that toils on...
Definitions
- A member of the lowly social class that toils on...
Ancestry of “peasant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | paissaunt | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | paisant | Alternative form of paisan |
| 3 | Old French | païsant | Alternative form of paisan |
| 4 | Old French | païs | Alternative form of pais; country |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | pagensis | — |
| 6 | Latin | pāgus | district, canton, region |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | pāgos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂ǵos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂ǵ- | to attach |