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
- An ignoble or total coward; a dastard; a...
Ancestry of “poltroon”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | poltron | coward |
| 2 | Italian | poltrone | lazy, indolent, sluggish; lazy person, indolent... |
| 3 | Italian | poltro | untamed; indolent, lazy; bed |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | pulliter | — |
| 5 | Latin | pullus | A young animal; darling; dark-colored; dusky |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | polHwós | pale, gray |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pelH- | pale, gray |
Words derived from “poltroon”