pauvre

pauvre

1. definite of pauver
2. plural of pauver

Inherited from Middle French pauvre, relatinisation of earlier povre, from Old French povre, inherited from Latin pauper, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, small”).

• IPA^(key): /povʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

pauvre (plural pauvres)

1. (after a noun) poor (financially deprived)
2. (after a noun) lacking, scanty
3. (before a noun) poor, pitiable
4. (derogatory) Used before epithets, describing the person being addressed, for emphasis.

   Synonym: sale

   pauvre con ― you twat, you moron, you idiot

• 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.).

• paupérisation

pauvre m (plural pauvres, feminine pauvresse)

1. poor person; pauper
2. person deserving of pity

• “pauvre”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

• vapeur

From Old French povre, from Latin pauper, pauperem.

pauvre m or f

1. (Jersey) poor

• pouôrre

• pauvrément (“poorly”)