Puny comes from the French puis né, meaning born afterwards. It was originally therefore meant to mean junior. That's why, in a British court, all but the most senior judge are called puisne judges; and, yes, puisne is pronounced in exactly the same way as puny.So all younger children are punies. As a middle child I'm not quite sure how to take this.
A puny can also mean an absolute beginner, hence the line in Middleton*'s Revenger's Tragedy:
I see thou art but a puny in the subtle mystery of a woman.
I wish girls would stop saying that to me.
*Or Tourneur
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Do puisne judges award punitive damages?
ReplyDeleteOnly for pusillanimous showing of the pudenda in a pew.
ReplyDeleteOoh that's rude!
ReplyDeleteMost enlightening.
ReplyDeleteSo I am puny compared to my brother Rob, but my other brother Nick, the tallest of the three of us, is punier still.
I shall tease him mercilessly about this.