P… P…P

 P… P…P

Certainly, it is not any opening of a ‘Nadhaswaram' concert; Still, I choose to use it as a catchy title for the day’s blog post. I intend surveying three words –not so common in our daily usage. All of them begin with letter “P” and hence the title.

These are ‘Penury ‘, Parsimony’ and ’Parvenu’. Though simple, these terms have not had the users’ patronage for quite obscure reasons. If someone has any clue or suggestion kindly enlighten all of us [on this point]  is an ‘open request’.

PARSIMONY

Parsimony is a negative trend on matters of spending from resources even if enough justification remains for that expenditure. In plain terms it is ‘miserly’ behaviour. Some persons hide the money in their possession and turn the other way at the time of payment and force payment [therefore expenditure] on others. Sometimes we observe lavish spending by government agencies on propaganda; but the same agencies turn PARSIMONIOUS and hold back investments like transport or power supply schemes. Parsimonious is the adjective form as can be readily recognized. ‘Parsimony’ in use of ‘words’ [language] is a practice adopted by some teachers. It simply robs the students of the opportunity to learn and use better terms. To make things clear it can be said that ‘parsimony’ is a tendency of avoiding spending even a pie [paisa] more than what the person feels inevitable. Such persons painfully part with money for train ticket or cinema hall; for them popcorn is an extravaganza more than a luxury by itself.

PARVENU [Pronounced ‘paa-vuh-nyoo’]

If one gets to have the meaning of the word, no wonder we have not had the occasion to know, understand and relish the usage of the term. It is unusual by occurrence though not outright ‘ruled out’. ‘Parvenu’ applies to person[s] who have suddenly become rich or ascended power. There is more to it than mere wealth or position of power. Some sources like dictionaries, also indicate that besides acquisition of wealth or power, [s]he is yet to acquire the ‘presentation’ that goes with those parameters of social significance. So to say the [wo] man –though richer or powerful [suddenly] remains rustic or ill-refined in attire or utterance. Possibly, the best-fit states of ‘parvenu’ can be found among politicians who turn rich overnight but remain ill-organized and crude.

PENURY

‘Penury’ is a noun and it refers to the state of extreme poverty.

All kinds of inadequacy, scarcity, dearth and insufficiency are classed under ‘PENURY’. Each of them also signifies the state of being below the level of adequacy.

A person in ‘penury’ may one day turn wealthy [‘parvenu’] but should not become parsimonious fearing the earlier penury.

Prof. K.Raman