# peon
## English
### 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: /ˈpiː.ən/, /ˈpeɪ.ɒn/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* (General American) IPA: /ˈpi.ɑn/, /ˈpeɪ.ɑn/
* (especially sense 3, obsolete) IPA: /pɪˈuːn/, /pjuːn/
* Rhymes: -iːən, -ɒn, -iɑn, -eɪɑn
* Homophones: paean, pee-on (one pronunciation)

### Noun

peon (plural peons or peones)
* A lowly person; a peasant or serf; a labourer who is obliged to do menial work.
* (figurative) A person of low rank or importance.
** 2011, Shehan Karunatilaka, Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, Jonathan Cape, page 260:He is well dressed in cheap clothing. Like an office peon whose wife works in a laundry.
* (India, historical) A messenger, foot soldier, or native policeman.

#### Related terms

* peonage

#### Translations
### References

* ↑ “peon, n.1.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2005.

### Further reading

* Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “peon”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

### Anagrams

* Nope, nope, open, peno-, pone

## 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)
* 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)
* 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: /pəˈðun/
* (classical, late) IPA: /pəˈun/, /piˈun/, /paˈun/, /puˈun/

### Noun

peon oblique singular, m (oblique plural peons, nominative singular peons, nominative plural peon)
* 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
* ⇒ Old French: peonier
** Middle French: pionnier
*** French: pionnier (see there for further descendants)

#### 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
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpɛ.ɔn/
* Rhymes: -ɛɔn
* Syllabification: pe‧on

### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish peón, from Late Latin pedō.

#### Noun

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

##### Derived terms

* peonaż

### Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek παιών (paiṓn).

#### Noun

peon m inan
* (poetry) paeon (foot containing any pattern of three short syllables and one long syllable)

##### Derived terms

* peoniczny

### Further reading

* peon in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French péon or Spanish peon.

### Noun

peon m (plural peoni)
* peon

#### Declension
## Tagalog
### Alternative forms

* piyon

### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog) IPA: /peˈon/ [pɛˈon̪]
* Rhymes: -on
* Syllabification: pe‧on

### Noun

peón (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜒᜌᜓᜈ᜔)
* peon
* (chess) pawn

#### Derived terms

* bahay-peon

#### 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