Where does “peon” come from?
peon (Polish) comes from Spanish peón, from Latin pedōnem, from Latin pēs, from Ancient Greek μέτρον, from Ancient Greek -τρον, from Proto-Hellenic -tron, from Proto-Indo-European -trom, from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
peon (Polish): peon
Definitions
- peon
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 Ancient Greek παιών
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | παιών | a physician |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | παιάν | hymn to Apollo |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Παιάν | Paean; in Greek mythology the physician of the gods |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | παίω | I strike, hit; I strike against or upon; I devour |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *p(y)eh₂w- | — |