pauper, pĕris (fem. paupera, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 12, 519, called obsolete by Varr. L. L. 8, § 77 Müll.—Neutr. pauperum, Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 1, 33.—Gen. plur. pauperorum, Petr. 46 dub.; Inscr. ex Ann. p. Chr. n. 341: AMATOR PAVPERORVM, ap. Fea, Framm. de' Fasti Cons. p. 90), adj. [root παυ- of παῦρος (cf. paucus, etc.), and per- of pario, pe-per-i, producing little],
I poor , i. e. not wealthy , of small means , that has only enough for his moderate expenses (cf.: indigus, egenus, inops).— Absol. : pauper, cui opera vita erat, ruri fere Se continebat, Ter. Phorm. 363: qui (judices) saepe propter invidiam adimunt diviti, Aut propter misericordiam addunt pauperi, id. ib. 277: optavit honeste in patriā pauper vivere, id. And. 798: servus domini pauperis, id. Eun. 486; Cic. Par. 6, 3, 50: sisne ex pauperrimo dives factus, id. Vatin. 12, 29: si abundans opibus pauperem se vocet, Quint. 11, 1, 21: quod Aeque pauperibus prodest, locupletibus aeque, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 25.—With in and abl.: meo sum pauper in aere, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 12.—
β With gen.: horum Semper ego optarim pauperrimus esse bonorum, Hor. S. 1, 1, 79: pauper Opimius argenti positi intus et auri, id. ib. 2, 3, 142: aquae, id. C. 3, 30, 11.— Subst.: pauper , ĕris, comm., a poor man : pauperum tabernae, Hor. C. 1, 4, 13: pauperum cenae, id. ib. 3, 29, 14: pauperum sepulcra, id. Epod. 17, 47: pauperiorum turbae, id. S. 1, 1, 111.—
2 Of things, poor , scanty , inconsiderable , small , meagre (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).— Absol. : pauperes res inopesque, Plaut. Rud. 1, 5, 24: ager, Tib. 1, 1, 23 (19): mensa, id. 1, 1, 37: pauperis tuguri culmen, Verg. E. 1, 69: domus, id. A. 12, 519: et carmen venā pauperiore fluit, Ov. P. 4, 2, 20: pauper pudor, Phaedr. 2, 1, 14: nomina pauperis aevi, Luc. 10, 151: eloquentia, Quint. 10, 5, 5.— With gen.: pauper sulci cerealis Abella, Sil. 8, 545.—With abl.: exemplis pauperior, App. Flor. fin. —
B Transf., for egenus, needy , indigent : homo Pauper, qui educit in egestate liberos, Caecil. ap. Gell. 2, 23, 21: inopes ac pauperes, Cic. Par. 6, 3, 52.—
II Trop., poor , feeble , intellectually (very rare; cf. miser, misellus): miser enim et (ut ita dicam) pauper orator est, qui, etc., Quint. 8 prooem. § 28.—
β Pauperes spiritu, i. e. humble , Vulg. Matt. 5, 3.—Hence, adv., poorly; in comp. : pauperius incedit, Tert. Cult. Fem. 11 fin.