See also: pejor

Latin

edit

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

From Proto-Italic *pedjōs, probably from Proto-Indo-European *ped-yōs (to the ground, downward), from *ped- (to walk, fall, stumble), with change of *-dj- to -[jj]- as in caia (cudgel) from *kaidjā-. Compare pessimus (worst). Cognate to pēs, pessum.

Pronunciation

edit

Adjective

edit

peior (comparative, neuter peius); third declension

  1. comparative degree of malus; worse
    Synonym: deterior, nequior

Declension

edit

Third-declension comparative adjective.

singular plural
masc./fem. neuter masc./fem. neuter
nominative peior peius peiōrēs peiōra
genitive peiōris peiōrum
dative peiōrī peiōribus
accusative peiōrem peius peiōrēs
peiōrīs
peiōra
ablative peiōre
peiōrī
peiōribus
vocative peior peius peiōrēs peiōra

Antonyms

edit

Derived terms

edit

Descendants

edit
  • Italo-Romance:
    • Italian: peggiore
    • Sicilian: pijuri
  • Rhaeto-Romance:
  • Gallo-Romance:
  • Ibero-Romance:
  • Borrowings:

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Nishimura, Kanehiro (2011) “Notes on Glide Treatment in Latin Orthography and Phonology: -iciō, servus, aiō”, in Historische Sprachforschung / Historical Linguistics, volume 124, page 193:
    It is well known that Latin orthography tends to avoid gemination of ⟨i⟩ for two successive -glides [...] The most classic case may be maior 'larger'; its phonological representation is /mai̯i̯or/ [...] the provision of a macron (i.e., māior, as if the vowel were long) in order to display the syllable weight — the way common in a number of grammar books and dictionaries — is utterly misleading in that it disguises the phonological reality. The same is true of another comparative adjective peior 'worse' (< *ped-i̯os-, via *-di̯- > -i̯i̯-)

Further reading

edit
  • peior”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “peiior”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 455
  • De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “pessum”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 463
  • De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “caedō, -ere”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 79–80

Old French

edit

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

From Latin peiōrem, accusative singular of peior. The nominative form, pire (whence modern French pire) derives from the Latin nominative.

Adjective

edit

peior (oblique singular, nominative singular pire)

  1. worse; comparative degree of mal
  2. worst; superlative degree of mal

Declension

edit
Case masculine feminine neuter
singular subject pire, pyre, piere, peior peiore pis
oblique peior peiore peior
plural subject peior peiores peior
oblique peiors peiores peior

Antonyms

edit

Descendants

edit
  • French: pire (from nominative form)

References

edit

Portuguese

edit

Adjective

edit

peior m or f (plural peiores)

  1. obsolete spelling of pior

Adverb

edit

peior

  1. obsolete spelling of pior