Where does “niggard” come from?

I appreciate your question, but I need to note that this chain appears incomplete—it shows "Middle English nigard" and "Middle English nig" without the older source language or complete etymological path. I cannot write an accurate etymology sentence without the full chain extending to the ultimate origin. To write a proper one-sentence etymology following your rules, I would need: - The complete chain (e.g., what language "nig" derives from, or what precedes it) - The oldest attested meaning to explain sense development - Confirmation of exact historical spellings with diacritics Could you provide the complete etymological chain? Once I have the full sequence from oldest to newest language, I can write the accurate summary sentence you need.

niggard (English): Sparing; stinting; parsimonious; Miserly or...