Where does “מאָגער” come from?
מאָגער (Yiddish) comes from Middle High German mager, from Old High German magar, from Old Norse mágr, from Proto-Germanic magraz, from Proto-Indo-European mh₂ḱrós, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ḱ- — to raise, increase; long.
מאָגער (Yiddish): skinny, thin; skimpy
Ancestry of “מאָגער”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | mager | — |
| 2 | Old High German | magar | thin; meager |
| 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 |