poor English · revision 3412

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1200 (Ancrene Riwle)|origins=la pauper}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /pɔː/, /pʊə/, US /pʊr/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|poure]], [[bor|fro|povre]], also poure,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) from [[la|pauper|t=poor]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) from pre-Latin *pau-paros “getting little”, a compound of the roots of [[m|la|paucus|t=little]] and [[m|la|parāre|t=to produce, acquire]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966) The first part is from [[ine-pro|*pau-|t=few, little]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) It is thus a doublet of [[pauper]] and related to [[few]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) It replaced Old English [[m|ang|earm|t=poor]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Having little or no money or possessions: about 1200^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) or before 1200, in the ''Ancrene Riwle'' and Layamon.^(Barnhart 1988) The noun, poor people as a group, is from the mid-12th century.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Already in the early 13th century ''poor'' could mean voluntarily without possessions, as a Christian virtue.^(Etymonline) The sense “unfortunate, to be pitied” is from the late 13th century.^(Etymonline) “Lacking in desirable qualities” is from about 1300,^(Etymonline) and “poor in something” from 1377.^(OED 1989) Of soil it is from the late 14th century^(Etymonline) or 1592.^(OED 1989) In modest or apologetic use, “humble, slight”, it is from the early 15th century.^(Etymonline) ''Poor as a church mouse'' rests on the idea that a church has no kitchen to rob.^(Cresswell 2021) ''Poor relation'' is by 1720 and ''poor man's ...'', “the cheaper alternative to ...”, from 1854.^(Etymonline) The verb, “to become or make poor”, was used from the 13th to the 16th century.^(SOED 2002)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * mid-12th century – the noun, the poor.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1200 – having few possessions.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * late 13th century – pitiable.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1300 – inferior in quality.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1377 – lacking a thing.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1592 – of soil, unproductive.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1720 – ''poor relation''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1854 – ''poor man's ...''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Having little or no [[wealth]] or possessions.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Lacking in a particular resource or quality.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # Of low quality; [[inferior]] or inadequate.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # Of soil, not [[fertile]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # Deserving pity: ''the poor man''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # Humble or modest.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # Poor people as a group.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[poorness]]

+ * [[poorish]]

+ * [[nonpoor]]

+ * [[poorly]]

+ * [[poormouth]]

+ * [[dirt-poor]]

+ * [[land-poor]]

+ * [[piss-poor]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[few]]

+ * [[paucity]]

+ * [[pauper]]

+ * [[poverty]]

+ * [[impoverish]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The American Heritage Dictionary notes that ''poor'' used as an adverb, as in ''they never played poorer'', is informal; formal usage needs ''more poorly''.^(AHD) It compares ''poor'' with ''indigent'', ''needy'', ''impecunious'', ''penniless'', ''impoverished'' and ''destitute''.^(AHD) In Scots the word appears as ''puir'' and ''peer''.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}