Where does “niggardry” come from?
niggardry (English) comes from English niggard, from Middle English nigard, from Middle English nig — niggardly person.
niggardry (English): Niggardliness
Definitions
- Niggardliness
Ancestry of “niggardry”, step by step
niggardry traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English niggard
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | niggard | Sparing; stinting; parsimonious; Miserly or... |
| 2 | Middle English | nigard | — |
| 3 | Middle English | nig | niggardly person |
via English ry
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ry | A test pattern consisting of a repeating character string alternating letters R and Y, used to test five-level teleprinter and radioteletype (RTTY) systems |