Poor
/pΚr/noun
Lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society.
Did you know?The word 'poor' comes from the Latin 'pauper', which originally meant 'small' or 'little', hinting at a lack of abundance in both wealth and spirit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pau-
βto be few, small, or littleβ
Latin
Latin
pauper
βpoor, lacking in resources or wealthβ
Old French
Old French
por
βpoor, lowly, miserableβ
Middle English
Middle English
poore
βlacking in material wealth or resourcesβ
Modern English
English
poor
βdeficient in resources, money, or quality of lifeβ