Where does “meager” come from?
meager (West Frisian) comes from Old Frisian māger, from Old Saxon *magar, from Old Norse mágr, from Proto-Germanic magraz, from Proto-Indo-European mh₂ḱrós, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ḱ- — to raise, increase; long.
meager (West Frisian): skinny, not well fed; lean, lacking in fat
Definitions
- skinny, not well fed; lean, lacking in fat
Ancestry of “meager”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Frisian | māger | — |
| 2 | Old Saxon | *magar | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | mágr | a male relative by marriage ; son-in-law,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | magraz | lean, meager |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mh₂ḱrós | lean, meager |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₂ḱ- | to raise, increase; long |