puisne en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈpjuːni/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈpjuni/ (General-American)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pós Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *pósti Proto-Italic *posti Old Latin poste Latin post Proto-Indo-European *íh₂ Latin ea Latin posteā Vulgar Latin *postius Old French puis Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₁tós Proto-Italic *gnātos Latin gnātus Latin nātus Old French né Old French puisné Middle French puisnébor. English puisne PIE word *pós From Anglo-Norman puisné (“later, more recent; junior; weakly”) [and other forms] and Middle French puisné (“born after (a specified person); younger, youngest; one who is born after (a specified person)”) (modern French puîné (“cadet (born after a sibling); a cadet (someone born after a sibling)”)), from puis (“after; since”) + né (“born”). Puis is derived from Old French pois (“after; since”), from Vulgar Latin *postius (“afterward”), from Latin posteā (“afterwards; hereafter; thereafter; next, then”), from post (“after; since”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pós (“afterwards”)) + ea (“these (things)”); and né from Latin nātus (“born”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to beget; to give birth; to produce”).
Meanings
- (obsolete) Younger; junior.
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(obsolete) Insignificant, petty; ineffectual.
But this intrigue of the ancient is a piece of private history, the truth of which my beloved cares not to own, and indeed, affects to disbelieve. As she does also some puisne gallantries of her foolish brother […].
1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter CCXVII”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC:it is not conceptible that in an infinite , or indeed in a very long period of Revolutions of Mankind , those or any things of this kind discoverable would have been of so late a puiſne a discovery
a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery, […], published 1677, →OCLC:
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Inferior in rank, as designation of any justice, judge etc. other than the most senior.
the puisne barons of the Court of Exchequer
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Coming later in time; subsequent, secondary.
a puisne date to eternity
a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery, […], published 1677, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most puisne | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more puisne | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| puny | alternative | lexicographic |