meager

Where does the word "meager" come from? It comes from Latin macer, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Meager’s story begins in Latin: macer meant “thin.” The root of 'emaciated'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as maigre. 'maigre' is still French for lean. It reached English by 1300s as meager. The American spelling 'meager' dropped the British '-re'. Today, meager means lacking in quantity or quality.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient macer "thin", the root of 'emaciated'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval maigre "thin", 'maigre' is still French for lean.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s meager "thin", the American spelling 'meager' dropped the British '-re'.