niggard

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   archaic: a person who is extremely unwilling to spend or give; a miser

   The landlord was a niggard who begrudged every necessary repair.

2. 2
   adj

   archaic: miserly, stingy, or grudgingly sparing

   The chronicler calls the wealthy prince niggard in charity.

From Middle English nigard or nygard, probably built on an older word for a stingy person and perhaps ultimately Scandinavian; compare Old Norse and modern Scandinavian words meaning 'stingy.' It is etymologically unrelated to the later racial slur that it resembles. Because that resemblance can cause offense or confusion, niggard is now generally avoided outside historical discussion.

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