Peon
/ˈpiː.ɒn/noun
A laborer of low status or, in some contexts, a person with little power or influence.
Did you know?English peon comes through Spanish from colonial-era South Asian usage, where it referred to an attendant or foot soldier, and its modern sense of a lowly worker reflects how empire turned a job title into a status label.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
paian
“A healer’s chant or song of triumph, later the title of a hymn to Apollo”
Latin
Latin
paeon
“A metrical foot in poetry, borrowed from Greek”
Portuguese
Portuguese
peão
“A foot soldier; a servant or attendant”
Spanish
Spanish
peón
“A day laborer; a foot soldier; an attendant”
Modern English
English
peon
“A laborer of low status; a person with little power”
Explore more surprising origins