indigent

/ˈɪndɪdʒənt/IN-dih-juhnt
/ˈɪndɪdʒənt/IN-dih-juhnt

Meaningneedy

Common meaning: very poor

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√AGH‘be in want’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 7, p. 730 · scan
  2. Latinindigens‘needy’source
  3. Middle Englishmeaning shiftsneedy → poorindigent‘poor’source
  4. Englishindigent‘very poor’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin indigens ‘needy’.

Roots

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app