Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French pitance (also in Anglo-Norman as pitaunce, in Old French as pietance, and in Middle French as pitence; French pitance : see below) pity (first half of the 12th cent. in Anglo-Norman), portion of food (late 12th cent. in Old French), esp. portion of food given to monks or paupers in a convent (first half of the 13th cent. in Old French; in Old French also in sense ‘religious service to commemorate the anniversary of a person's death’ (second half of the 13th cent.)), and its etymon post-classical Latin pitantia food allowance in a religious house (from 11th cent.; frequently c1135–1507 in British sources; also pietantia (frequently c1235–16th cent. in British sources), pittantia (from 13th cent.)) < post-classical Latin pietari to have mercy (Vetus Latina) < classical Latin pietās (see piety n.): see -ance suffix. French pitance is now chiefly used in the standard language in sense ‘daily portion of food’, ‘food for subsistence’ (usually pejorative or literary). In regional French the word is widespread in sense ‘food’, esp. ‘food eaten as an accompaniment to bread’: see Französisches etymol. Wörterbuch at pietas . Senses 3 and 4 are apparently not paralleled in French. Compare Old Occitan pitansa , piatansa pity, alms, food given to monks or paupers in a convent (a1204 or earlier; also as pietansa (late 12th–early 13th cent. or earlier); Occitan pitança food other than bread, food eaten as an accompaniment to bread), Catalan pitança (1433; earlier as †pietanza (1191)), Spanish pitanza pittance, salary (1131 as †pitança ; also first half of the 13th cent. as †pietança ), Portuguese pitança daily food ration (13th cent.; earlier as †pitantia (1199)), Italian pietanza food given to monks in addition to their bread ration (1280; now obsolete in this sense), food given to a person as alms (1353; now obsolete in this sense; now only in sense ‘food served at the table, esp. a main course’ (1516)). The post-classical Latin word was also borrowed into other Germanic languages: compare Middle High German pitanz , pitanze (German†Pietanz ), Old Swedish pitanz . Alternative etymologies have been suggested for the post-classical Latin and Romance words, but are now generally rejected: e.g. that they might be from ancient Greek πιττάκιον tablet, billet, or from post-classical Latin picta a small coin of Poitou (which is first attested later than both French pitance and its post-classical Latin etymon: 13th cent.), or from the suggested Celtic base which perhaps underlies piece n.

Etymology: < pittance n.