Where does “parsimony” come from?
Parsimony comes from Middle English parcimonie, from Middle French parsimonie, from Latin parsimonia, a noun formed from pars (part) and the suffix -monia (derived from -monium), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂erk- and -mō.
parsimony (English): Great reluctance to spend money unnecessarily;...
Definitions
- Great reluctance to spend money unnecessarily;...
Ancestry of “parsimony”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | parcimonie | — |
| 2 | Middle French | parsimonie | small saving |
| 3 | Latin | parsimōnia | frugality, thrift, parsimony |
| 4 | Latin | -monia | Forms abstract nouns from adjectives and possibly... |
| 5 | Latin | -monium | Forms collective nouns and nouns designating... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -monyom | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -mō | Creates agent nouns from verbs |