beggere

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Either borrowed from Old French begart (from Middle Dutch beggaert) or formed anew from beggen +‎ -ere (suffix forming agent nouns).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛɡər(ə)/

Noun

beggere (plural beggeres)

  1. A beggar (one who begs for alms)
    • c. 1378-9, [William Langland], “[Prologue]”, in [Piers Plowman, A Treatise on Sin] (W, B-text), London, published c. 1400, →OCLC, folio 1, verso; republished as Thorlac Turville-Petre, Hoyt N. Duggan, editors, Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.15.17 (The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive; 2), SEENET, 2014, →ISBN:
      ¶ Bıdderes and beggeres. faſte aboute ẏede / Wıþ hıre belıes and hıre bagges. of breed ful ycrammed […]
      Panhandlers and beggars quickly moving about, / with their bellies and bags of bread crammed full, […]
  2. A poor person; one living in poverty.
  3. A mendicant; a friar reliant on alms.
  4. A villain; a despicable person.
  5. (rare) A petitioner; a supplicator.

Descendants

  • English: beggar
  • Scots: beggar

References

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