proverb · Words worth keeping
Poverty parteth good fellowship.
Poverty parteth good fellowship.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Lack of resources can strain or interrupt companionship. The saying recognises a practical pressure on social life rather than proving that affection is absent.
Example
Friends choose a less costly way to meet so that someone with fewer resources is not left out.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Parting good fellowship pictures people being separated despite a connection that might otherwise continue. Costs, distance or differing circumstances can make meeting difficult or expose an unequal expectation. The expression can prompt people to consider what would make companionship accessible. It should not treat poverty as shameful or excuse friends who overlook someone’s needs. A useful reading recognises the barrier and looks for ways to preserve the bond, rather than assuming that material scarcity must always destroy it.
When to use it
Use it to recognise a material barrier affecting a valued relationship.
Keep in mind
Companionship need not depend on spending, and shortage does not prove a lack of care.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English