poor

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*peh₂w-
2. Proto-Indo-European*perh₃-?
3. Proto-Indo-European*peh₂w(o)p(o)rh₃o-
4. Proto-Italic*paw(o)paro-?
5. Latindīvesinflu.
6. Latinpauper
7. Old Frenchpovre
8. Middle Englishpovre
9. English todaypoor

Inherited from Middle English povre, povere, from Old French and Anglo-Norman povre, poure, from Latin pauper, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, small”). Doublet of pauper. Displanced native wantsome, Middle English unlede (“poor”, from Old English unlǣde), Middle English unweli, unwely (“poor, unwealthy”, from Old English un- + weliġ (“well-to-do, prosperous, rich”)) and almost fully arm.

Words from the same roots