Where does “peon” come from?
Peon comes from Spanish peón, from Old French peon, from Latin pes meaning "foot," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ped- or pṓds with the same sense.
peon (English): A lowly person; a peasant or serf; a labourer who...
Definitions
- A lowly person; a peasant or serf; a labourer who...
Ancestry of “peon”, step by step
peon traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Spanish peón
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | peón | foot soldier, infantryman; child's toy top;... |
| 2 | Latin | pedōnem | — |
| 3 | Latin | pēs | a foot, in its senses as |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μέτρον | something used to measure: measure, rule, weight;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -τρον | Forms instrument nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | -tron | Forms instrument nouns from verb stems |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
via Middle French peon
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | peon | — |