peon

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

peon

Wikipedia

Etymology

From a combination of Middle French pion, peon and Spanish peón, both from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”). Doublet of pawn.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpiː.ən/, /ˈpeɪ.ɒn/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpi.ɑn/, /ˈpeɪ.ɑn/
• (especially sense 3, obsolete) IPA^(key): /pɪˈuːn/, /pjuːn/
• Rhymes: -iːən, -ɒn, -iɑn, -eɪɑn
• Homophones: paean, pee-on (one pronunciation)

Noun

peon (plural peons or peones)

1. A lowly person; a peasant or serf; a labourer who is obliged to do menial work.
2. (figurative) A person of low rank or importance.
3. (India, historical) A messenger, foot soldier, or native policeman.

Related terms

• peonage

Translations

References

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “peon”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• Nope, nope, open, peno-, pone

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:

Pionslekta

Wikipedia ^no

Alternative forms

• pion

Etymology

From Hellenistic Ancient Greek παιωνία (paiōnía), from Ancient Greek Παιών (Paiṓn, “Paean, physician of the gods”)/παιών (paiṓn, “a physician”).

Noun

peon m (definite singular peonen, indefinite plural peoner, definite plural peonene)

1. a peony (genus Paeonia)

Derived terms

• peonrød

References

• “peon” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• pion

Etymology

From Hellenistic Ancient Greek παιωνία (paiōnía), from Ancient Greek Παιών (Paiṓn, “Paean, physician of the gods”)/παιών (paiṓn, “a physician”).

Noun

peon m (definite singular peonen, indefinite plural peonar, definite plural peonane)

1. a peony (genus Paeonia)

References

• “peon” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Old French

Alternative forms

• pedon (archaic)
• paon, pion, poon, poun
• paun, peoun, poune, pounne

Etymology

Inherited from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”).

Pronunciation

• (archaic) IPA^(key): /pəˈðun/
• (classical, late) IPA^(key): /pəˈun/, /piˈun/, /paˈun/, /puˈun/

Noun

peon oblique singular, m (oblique plural peons, nominative singular peons, nominative plural peon)

1. one who goes on foot; pedestrian

   (military) infantryman

   (chess) pawn

Descendants

• French: pion
  • → Dutch: pion
    • Afrikaans: pion
    • → Indonesian: pion
  • → Greek: πιόνι (pióni)
  • → Polish: pion
  • → Romanian: pion
  • → Turkish: piyon
• → Middle English: pown, powne, poun, poune, pon, pawn, pawne, paun, pewne
  • English: pawn
  • Scots: poun

References

• peon on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub
• “peon”, in DEAF: Dictionnaire Étymologique de l'Ancien Français, Heidelberg: Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1968-.

Polish

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:

peon

Wikipedia ^pl

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɛ.ɔn/
• Rhymes: -ɛɔn
• Syllabification: pe‧on

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish peón, from Late Latin pedō.

Noun

peon m pers

1. (agriculture, historical) peon (lowly person; a peasant or serf; a labourer who is obliged to do menial work)

Declension

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek παιών (paiṓn).

Noun

peon m inan

1. (poetry) paeon (foot containing any pattern of three short syllables and one long syllable)

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• peon in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French péon or Spanish peon.

Noun

peon m (plural peoni)

1. peon

Declension

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• piyon

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish peón, from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”), from Latin ped- (“foot”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /peˈon/,
• Hyphenation: pe‧on

Noun

peón (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜒᜌᜓᜈ᜔)

1. peon
2. (chess) pawn

See also

Chess pieces in Tagalog · mga piyesa sa ahedres (layout · text)
hari	reyna	tore	obispo/alpil	kabayo	peon

Further reading

• “peon”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018