also pleb, "member of the lowest at a U.S. military academy," 1833, probably a shortened form of plebeian "one of the lower class," which in Latin had also the short form plebs or plebes.
Entries linking to plebe
plebeian adj.
"of or characteristic of the lower or the common people," 1560s in a Roman historical sense, from Latin plebeius "belonging to the plebs," earlier plebes, "the populace, the common people" (as opposed to patricians, etc.), also "commonality; the mass, the multitude; the lower class" (from PIE *ple-, from root *pele- (1) "to fill"). In general (non-historical) use from 1580s.
*pele- 1
*pelə-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to fill," with derivatives referring to abundance and multitude.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit purvi "much," prayah "mostly;" Avestan perena-, Old Persian paru "much;" Greek polys "much, many," plethos "people, multitude, great number," ploutos "wealth;" Latin plus "more," plenus "full;" Lithuanian pilus "full, abundant;" Old Church Slavonic plunu; Gothic filu "much," Old Norse fjöl-, Old English fela, feola "much, many;" Old English folgian; Old Irish lan, Welsh llawn "full;" Old Irish il, Welsh elu "much."
pleb n.
"one of the common people, a low-born person," 1856 as a colloquial shortening of plebeian in the ancient Roman sense. West Point sense attested by 1851 (see plebe). Related: Plebbish.