Where does “poor” come from?
Poor comes from Middle English povre, from Old French povre, from Latin pauper, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European peh₂w-.
poor (English): With no or few possessions or money, particularly...
Definitions
- With no or few possessions or money, particularly...
Ancestry of “poor”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | povre | poor, needy; poor by choice; Afflicted by need... |
| 2 | Old French | povre | poor |
| 3 | Latin | pauper | poor |
| 4 | Latin | pavo-pars | getting little |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pau- | smallness |
Words derived from “poor”