Pitiful ( page 273 ).
Questions.
1. What was the original meaning of pitiful? What does it now signify? 2. How does pitiful differ in use from pitiable? 3. What was the early and what is the present sense of piteous?
Examples.
There is something pleading and —— in the simplicity of perfect ignorance.
The most —— sight one ever sees is a young man doing nothing; the Furies early drag him to his doom.
O, the most —— cry of the poor souls!