peior
See also: pejor
Latin
Alternative forms
Etymology
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
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈpɛj.jɔr][1]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈpɛː.jor]
Adjective
peior (comparative, neuter peius); third declension
Declension
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
Derived terms
Descendants
See also
- pessimus (superlative)
References
- ^ 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 i̯-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
- “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
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Latin peiōrem, accusative singular of peior. The nominative form, pire (whence modern French pire) derives from the Latin nominative.
Adjective
peior (oblique singular, nominative singular pire)
- worse; comparative degree of mal
- c. 1180, Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot ou le Chevalier de la charrette:
- Qui peior que Sarrazin sont.
- Who are worse than Saracens.
- worst; superlative degree of mal
Declension
| Case | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | subject | pire, pyre, piere, peior | peiore | pis |
| oblique | peior | peior | ||
| plural | subject | peior | peiores | peior |
| oblique | peiors | peior |
Antonyms
- meillor (“best”)
Descendants
- French: pire (from nominative form)
References
- Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (peior, includes information on declension)
- peior on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub
Portuguese
Adjective
peior m or f (plural peiores)
- obsolete spelling of pior
Adverb
peior
- obsolete spelling of pior