pauvre
Danish edit
Adjective edit
pauvre
French edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Middle French pauvre, relatinisation of earlier povre, from Old French povre, inherited from Latin pauper, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, small”).
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
pauvre (plural pauvres)
- (after a noun) poor (financially deprived)
- (after a noun) lacking, scanty
- (before a noun) poor, pitiable
- (derogatory) Used before epithets, describing the person being addressed, for emphasis.
- Synonym: sale
- pauvre con ― you twat, you moron, you idiot
Usage notes edit
- This adjective belongs to a group of French adjectives whose position relative to a noun changes depending on its meaning. When positioned before the noun, it is used to describe the state of being pitiable (e.g., Mon pauvre garçon!), whereas when positioned after the noun (like most French adjectives), it refers to the lack of resources (e.g., Il était un fermier pauvre quand il était jeune.).
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Noun edit
pauvre m (plural pauvres, feminine pauvresse)
Further reading edit
- “pauvre”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams edit
Norman edit
Etymology edit
From Old French povre, from Latin pauper, pauperem.
Adjective edit
pauvre m or f
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
- pauvrément (“poorly”)