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English

Most common English words: here « thought « found « #140: people » still » just » while

Etymology

From Middle English peple, peeple, from Anglo-Norman people, from Old French pueple, peuple, pople (modern French peuple), from Latin populus "people", of unknown origin. Probably of non-Indo-European origin, from Etruscan. Gradually ousted native Middle English lede, leed "people" (from Old English lēode).

Originally a singular noun (eg. The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness --2 Samuel 17:29, King James Version), the plural aspect of people is probably due to influence from Middle English lede, leed, a plural since Old English times (compare Old English lēode "people, men, persons", plural of Old English lēod "man, person").

Pronunciation

Noun

Singular people

Plural plural common noun and collective noun (plural peoples)

people (plural common noun and collective noun (plural peoples))

  1. used as plural of person; a body of human beings considered generally or collectively; a group of two or more persons.
    • 1813 Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice:
      "What a charming amusement for young people this is, Mr. Darcy! There is nothing like dancing after all. I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished society."
  2. (plural peoples) Persons forming or belonging to a particular group, such as a nation, class, ethnic group, country, family, etc; folk; community.
  3. A group of persons regarded as being employees, followers, companions or subjects of a ruler.
  4. One's colleagues or employees.
    • 2001, Vince Flynn, Transfer of Power, p. 250:
      Kennedy looked down at Flood's desk and thought about the possibilities. "Can you locate him?" "I already have my people checking on all [it]."
    • 2008, Fern Michaels, Hokus Pokus‎, p. 184:
      Can I have one of my people get back to your people, Mr. President?" She tried to slam the phone back into the base and failed.
  5. A person's ancestors, relatives or family.
    My people lived through the Black Plague and the Thirty Years War.
  6. The mass of a community as distinguished from a special class (elite); the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common crowd; the citizens.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Verb

Infinitive to people

Third person singular peoples

Simple past peopled

Past participle peopled

Present participle peopling

to people (third-person singular simple present peoples, present participle peopling, simple past and past participle peopled)

  1. (transitive) To stock with people or inhabitants; to fill as with people; to populate.
  2. (intransitive) To become populous or populated.
  3. (transitive) To inhabit; to occupy; to populate.
    • a. 1645, John Milton, Il Penseroso, lines 7–8:
      […] / As thick and numberless / As the gay motes that people the Sun Beams, / […]

Derived terms

Translations

to fill with people
  • Portuguese: povoar pt(pt)
  • Russian: населять (naselját’)
  • Slovene: naseliti sl(sl)
  • Spanish: poblar con
  • Swedish: befolka
to become populous
  • Dutch: bevolkt worden (literally: “become populated”)
  • Finnish: lisääntyä fi(fi)
  • Norwegian: befolkes no(no)
  • Portuguese: povoar-se pt(pt)
  • Spanish: poblarse es(es)
  • Swedish: befolkas
to inhabit, to occupy
  • German: bewohnen, besiedeln, bevölkern
  • Norwegian: befolke no(no)
  • Swedish: befolka
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
  • Esperanto: popoli (1), popoliĝi (2)

References

French

Alternative spellings

Pronunciation

Etymology

From English people.

Noun

people m. (plural peoples)

  1. (countable) A celebrity, a famous person.
    • 2004, Emmanuel Davidenkoff and Didier Hassoux, Luc Ferry: une comédie du pouvoir, 2002–2004 (Luc Ferry: A Comedy of Power, 2002–2004), Hachette, ISBN 9782012357785,
      Le novice en politique contre le mammouth « Éducation nationale ». Ça mérite la sympathie. Et puis c’est un people. Les gens aiment et détestent à la fois. Ils sont fascinés. Le bonheur sur papier glacé. Les vacances entre Saint-Trop’, la Martinique et Deauville.
      The political novice against the mammoth "National Education". That merited sympathy. Then, too, he was a celebrity. People loved and hated at the same time. They were fascinated. Happiness on ice paper. Vacations between Saint-Tropez, Martinique, and Deauville.
    • 2008, Martine Delvaux, "L’égoïsme romantique de Frédéric Beigbeder" ("Frédéric Beigbeder's L’égoïsme romantique (Romantic Egotism)"), in Alain-Philippe Durand (editor), Frédéric Beigbeder et ses doubles (Frédéric Beigbeder and His Doubles), Rodopi, ISBN 978-90-420-2472-4, page 95:
      Oscar Dufresne est un people anti-people, un macho impuissant, un intellectuel qui ne dit rien d’intelligent, un faux sadique et un faux masochiste, un anti-autobiographe.
      Oscar Dufresne is a celebrity who is anti-celebrity, a powerless macho man, an intellectual who says nothing intelligent, a fake sadist and a fake masochist, an anti-autobiographer.

Usage notes

Synonyms

Derived terms

 

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'People' News
Sanofi-Aventis Said to Be Likely to Bid $18 Billion for Genzyme - New York Times
nytimes.com
Sanofi-Aventis Said to Be Likely to Bid $18 Billion for Genzyme - New York Times
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:04:28 GMT+00:00
New York Times Sanofi's board met on Wednesday and agreed to let management make a formal proposal, one of these people said. At $70 a share, Sanofi's bid would be worth ... Sanofi Board Said to Support Genzyme Bid of Up to $18.7 Billion Bloomberg Sanofi Mum on Genzyme as It Posts Higher Profit New York Times (blog) AM Vitals: Sanofi Likely to Formally Offer to Buy Genzyme Wall Street Journal (blog)
Google News Search: people,
Thu Jul 29 17:04:21 2010
'People' Images
ORIG027 People jpg
emmaball.co.uk
ORIG027 People jpg
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Double click on above image to view full picture

Yahoo Images Search: people,
Mon Jul 26 16:57:42 2010
'People' Blogs
cryptogon.com WikiLeaks Founder, Constantly Annoyed that People ...
cryptogon.com
cryptogon.com WikiLeaks Founder, Constantly Annoyed that People ...

Kevin

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:57:36 GM

Any time . people. with power plan in secret, they are conducting a conspiracy. So there are conspiracies everywhere. There are also crazed conspiracy theories. It's important not to confuse these two. Generally, when there's enough facts ...

Google Blogs Search: people,
Thu Jul 29 13:00:20 2010
'People' Answers
How do the people that live in Varansi and drink water from the Ganges and bathe in it stay alive?
Q. The Ganges is a literal sewer. It is completely black and septic. Every 7 kms there are 30 sewers pumping waste into it, and people dumb thousands of dead people, cattle, and dogs in it daily. People bathe in it, drink the water, go to the toilet in it and cook with the water! How are they not dead? And what about the people who fish the dead human carcasses from the river and eat them for religious purposes? How do they stay alive?
Asked by o.O ! O.o - Thu Mar 12 06:50:53 2009 - - 8 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Dear miss Sweet, the Scientists took a sample near the sewer opening and found the water "unfit for drinking" then he tested the water about 100 meters further and stated it " absolutely fit for drinking" That's my mother GANGA" and please don't call it a sewer, it hurts.
Answered by Aakash C - Thu Mar 12 06:56:35 2009

Yahoo Answers Search: people,
Thu Jul 29 14:02:54 2010
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