Apedia

Pittance Pity Word Meaning Small Work April Noun

Pittance refers to a small portion, amount, or allowance, or a meager wage, sharing etymological roots with 'pity' and 'piety' from the Latin word for compassion.

Pittance se refiere a una pequeña porción, cantidad o asignación, o a un salario escaso. Comparte raíces etimológicas con las palabras "pity" (compasión) y "piety" (piedad), derivando del latín "pietas".

Word pittance
Date April 15, 2017
Type noun
Syllables PIT-unss
Etymology It's a pity when you haven't anything but a pittance. And in fact, pity and pittance share etymological roots. The Middle English word pittance came from Anglo-French pitance, meaning "pity" or "piety." Originally, a pittance was a gift or bequest to a religious community, or a small charitable gift. Ultimately, the word comes from the Latin pietas, meaning "piety" or "compassion." Our words pity and piety come from pietas as well.
Examples "… chances are good that any snow that might fall in coming days could be like the pittance of flakes that fell Thursday—and then almost immediately melted." — Neil Johnson, The Janesville (Wisconsin) Gazette, 11 Mar. 2017

"It's a setup worthy of Sherlock Holmes: a museum acquires a work of art for a pittance, not quite realizing what it has on its hands, only to discover, quite casually, that the piece in question is a long-lost work by a canonical artist." — Kirkus Reviews, 24 Feb. 2017
Definition : a small portion, amount, or allowance; also : a meager wage or remuneration

Tags: wordoftheday::noun

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