peon

See also: peón and péon

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpiː.ən/, /peɪˈɒn/
• IPA^(key): /ˈpi.ɑn/, /ˈpeɪ.ɑn/
• (especially sense 3, obsolete) IPA^(key): /pɪˈuːn/, /pjuːn/
• Rhymes: -iːən, -ɒn, -iɑn, -eɪɑn

Noun

peon (plural peons)

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

peasant or serf

• Arabic: كَادِح m (kādiḥ)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 雇農 (zh) (gùnóng), 雇农 (zh) (gùnóng), 日工 (zh) (rìgōng)

• Dutch: arbeider (nl) m, dagloner (nl) m, pandeling m, schuldslaaf m, dwangarbeider (nl) m, helper (nl) m
• Esperanto: peono
• French: péon (fr) m
• German: Peon m, Diener (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hindi: चपरासी (hi) m (caprāsī)
• Japanese: 農奴 (ja) (nōdo)
• Portuguese: peão (pt) m
• Romanian: șerb (ro) m
• Russian: батра́к (ru) m (batrák), пео́н (ru) m (peón)
• Spanish: peón (es) m
• Turkish: piyon (tr) sg
• Urdu: چپراسی m (caprāsī)

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• Nope, nope, open, peno-, pone

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Norwegian Bokmål

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.

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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.

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Romanian

Etymology

From French péon or Spanish peon.

Noun

peon m (plural peoni)

1. peon

Declension

Declension of peon

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) peon	peonul	(niște) peoni	peonii
genitive/dative	(unui) peon	peonului	(unor) peoni	peonilor
vocative	peonule		peonilor

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Tagalog

Alternative forms

• piyon

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Noun

peón

1. peon
2. (chess) pawn

Further reading

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