Impecunious
/ˌɪm.pɪˈkjuː.ni.əs/noun
Having little or no money; poor.
Did you know?Its core root is Latin *pecus* (“cattle”), the same wealth-root behind *pecuniary* and *peculate*, because in early Indo-European societies livestock could literally stand in for money.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peḱu-
“livestock; movable wealth”
Latin
Latin
pecū
“cattle, livestock”
Latin
Latin
pecūnia
“money, wealth (originally cattle as property)”
Late Latin
Latin
impēcūniōsus
“poor, without money”
Middle English
English
impecunious
“without money; poor”
Modern English
English
impecunious
“having little or no money”