niggardly

英 ['nɪgədlɪ] 美 ['nɪɡɚdli]
  • adj. 小气的;很少量的
  • adv. 小气地;很少量地

中文词源


niggardly 吝啬的,小气的

词源不详,可能来自挪威方言nigla,忙于琐事的,词源同niggle,-ard,人,含贬义。可能与nugatory有词源联系。俗词源认为该词来自nigger,但被多数词源学家否定。

英文词源


niggardly (adj.)
1560s, from niggard + -ly (1).
It was while giving a speech in Washington, to a very international audience, about the British theft of the Elgin marbles from the Parthenon. I described the attitude of the current British authorities as "niggardly." Nobody said anything, but I privately resolved -- having felt the word hanging in the air a bit -- to say "parsimonious" from then on. [Christopher Hitchens, "The Pernicious Effects of Banning Words," Slate.com, Dec. 4, 2006]
As an adverb from 1520s. Related: Niggardliness.

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