paltry

== English == === Alternative forms === paultry, paultrie, palterey (obsolete) === Etymology === From Middle Low German paltrig (“ragged, rubbishy, worthless”), from palter, palte (“cloth, rag, shred”), from Old Saxon *paltro, *palto (“cloth, rag”), from Proto-Germanic *paltrô, *paltô (“scrap, rag, patch”). Of uncertain ultimate origin, but perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *polto- (“cloth”), see also Proto-Slavic *poltьno (“linen”). Cognate with Low German palterig (“ragged, torn”), dialectal German palterig (“paltry”). Compare also Low German palte (“rag”), West Frisian palt (“rag”), Saterland Frisian Palte (“strip; band; tape”), dialectal German Palter (“rag”), Danish pjalt (“rag, tatter”), Swedish palta (“rag”). See also palterly and pelting. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ˈpɒltɹi/, /ˈpɔːltɹi/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈpɔltɹi/ (cot–caught merger, US, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈpɑltɹi/ (Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈpɔltɹi/ Homophone: poultry (some accents) === Adjective === paltry (comparative paltrier, superlative paltriest) Trashy, trivial, of little value. Synonyms: insignificant, unimportant, petty, trivial, beggarly Of little monetary worth. Synonyms: meager, worthless, pitiful, trifling Despicable; contemptibly unimportant. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Collocations ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === Weijnen, A.A. (2003), Etymologisch dialectwoordenboek‎[2] (in Dutch), The Hague: Sdu Uitgevers, →ISBN === Anagrams === partly, raptly