pittance
/ˈpɪtəns/ noun
Forms pittances
- noun A small allowance of food and drink; a scanty meal.
- noun A meagre allowance of money or wages.
- noun A small amount.
Etymology
From Middle English pitaunce, from Old French pitance, pitence, from Medieval Latin *pietāntia, from Latin pietās (“piety”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun An allowance of food bestowed in charity; a mess of victuals; hence, a small charity gift; a dole. "A good pitaunce." Chaucer.
- noun A meager portion, quality, or allowance; an inconsiderable salary or compensation. "The small pittance of learning they received." Swift.
Etymology [OE. pitance, pitaunce, F. pitance; cf. It. pietanza, LL. pitancia, pittantia, pictantia; perh. fr. L. pietas pity, piety, or perhaps akin to E. petty. Cf. Petty, and Pity.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pittance”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details