THE ETYMOLOGY NERD
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Word Archives
  • Infographics
  • Videos
  • MORE
    • Retail Reviews
    • Cartoons
    • Clarifications
    • Resources
    • Accomplishments

POOR CONNECTIONS

7/12/2017

0 Comments

 
The word poverty comes from the Old French word poverte, which comes from the Latin word paupertas, which is composed of pauper, meaning "poor", and -tas, a common suffix. If you're thinking it, yes, the Latin root pauper is the direct root of the modern word pauper, or "poor person". It gets even more meta, though, when I tell you that Latin pauper is also the root of today's word poor (through Old French povre and poure then through Middle English povre and povere). All these connections unite there at pauper, and then as one they go back to pavopars, a primordial jumble in Old Latin that meant "getting little" and ultimately is from the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root pehw, or "few". So if you're a politician wanting to blame poverty levels on something, I suggest Proto-Indo-European. Also, out of the three words we've discussed, poor of course has the highest usage because of the secondary definitions it developed.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    AUTHOR

    Picture
    Adam Aleksic is a 217-month-old, 2800-ounce high school senior with disturbing interests in etymology, vexillology, geography, board games, and law. Adam is anxiously awaiting his college rejections and loves writing about himself in the third person.
      Please check the word archives first
    Submit
    CONFUSED?
      

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016

    The Etymology Nerd

Picture

A lexophile's sanctum - Over 90,000 served!

Home • Blog • Interesting Infographics • Retail Reviews • Cartoons • Clarifications • Word Archives • Resources • Accomplishments
CONTACT: etymologynerd@gmail.com
TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • RSS
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Word Archives
  • Infographics
  • Videos
  • MORE
    • Retail Reviews
    • Cartoons
    • Clarifications
    • Resources
    • Accomplishments