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Puny

//ˈpjuːni// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of inferior significance, size, or strength; ineffective, small, weak.

    "You puny earthlings are no match for Ming the Merciless!"

  2. 2
    (Frequently) ill; poorly, sickly. Southern-US
  3. 3
    Alternative spelling of puisne.; Inferior in rank; specifically, of a judge: junior. obsolete

    "Gadsbodkins, you puny Upſtart in the Law, to uſe me ſo, you Green Bag Carrier, you Murderer of unfortunate Cauſes, the Clerks Ink is ſcarce off of your fingers, you that newly come from Lamblacking the Judges ſhooes, and are not fit to wipe mine; […]"

  4. 4
    Alternative spelling of puisne.; Coming later in time; secondary, subsequent. obsolete
  5. 5
    Alternative spelling of puisne.; Not experienced; novice. obsolete
Adjective
  1. 1
    (used especially of persons) of inferior size wordnet
  2. 2
    inferior in strength or significance wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    An inferior person; a subordinate; also, an insignificant person. archaic

    "·"

  2. 2
    A younger person; a junior. obsolete

    "[A] law that the eldeſt or firſt-borne child ſhall ſucceede and inherite all: where nothing is reſerved for punies, but obedience: […] Theſe vaine ſhadowes of our religion, which are ſeene in ſome of theſe examples, witnes the dignitie and divinity thereof."

  3. 3
    Alternative spelling of puisne.; A person who is not experienced; a beginner, a novice. obsolete

    "Nay then I ſee thou'rt but a puny in the ſubtill Miſtery of a woman: […]"

  4. 4
    Alternative spelling of puisne.; A puisne or junior judge. obsolete
  5. 5
    A new student at a school, university, the Inns of Court, etc.; a junior. obsolete

    "[T]he whole companye or most parte of the Studentꝭ [Studentis] of the same house mette toogether to beginne their Christmas, of wᶜʰ som̃e came to see sports […] others to make sporte wᵗʰall of this last sorte were they whome they call Fresh-menn Punies of the first yeare, who are by no meanes admitted to be agent's or behoulders of those sports, before themselues haue biñe patient perfourmers of them."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pós Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *pós-ti Proto-Italic *posti 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 English puny PIE word *pós A respelling of puisne, 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”).

Etymology 2

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pós Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *pós-ti Proto-Italic *posti 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 English puny PIE word *pós A respelling of puisne, 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”).

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