Where does “poltroon” come from?

Poltroon comes from Middle French poltron, from Italian poltrone, from Latin pullus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots polH- and peh₂w-.

poltroon (English): An ignoble or total coward; a dastard; a...

Definitions

  1. An ignoble or total coward; a dastard; a...

Ancestry of “poltroon”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchpoltroncoward
2Italianpoltronelazy, indolent, sluggish; lazy person, indolent...
3Italianpoltrountamed; indolent, lazy; bed
4Vulgar Latinpulliter—
5LatinpullusA young animal; darling; dark-colored; dusky
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanpolHwóspale, gray
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanpelH-pale, gray

Words derived from “poltroon”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pelH- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European polHwós →Every word from Latin pullus →