Middle English Dictionary Entry
nigard n.
Entry Info
| Forms | nigard n. Also nigarde, niggard(e, nigart, negard(e, nekard & nigger. |
| Etymology | From ON *hniggw; cp. Swed. njug 'stingy'; akin to OI hnöggr 'stingy' & Swed. dial. niggla 'be stingy'. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A stingy person, miser; greedy or covetous man; (b) a contemptible person, a weakling.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Cor.6.10 : Neither lecchours..nether coueitouse men, or nygardis [WB(2): auerouse men; L avari]..schulen weelde the kyngdom of God.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4850 : This Viola largesce hath take, And the nygard sche hath forsake.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.333 : He is to greet a nygard that wil werne A man to lighte a candel at his lanterne.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1263 : I praye..olde and angry nygardes [vr. nyggardes] of dispence God sende hem soone verray pestilence.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)8/17 : Be he no glotoun ne noon enuyous ne a negard [vr. nygarde].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)20.237 : He was a nigard to þe neodful poure.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)126/17 : Whanne oure Lord is large of his drinke, be not we scarse nygardus þerof to parte wiþ oþere.
- a1400 Pep.Gosp.(Pep 2498)66/16 : Jesus..ȝaf hem alle ensaumple of a wikked nigger..þat wiþhelde þe riȝttes of a widewe riȝth longe.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1379 : So perfit joie may no nygard [vr. negarde] have.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1175 : Nygart never with strengthe of hond May wynne him gret lordship or lond.
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)3/8 : Rote þinges & faylynge are ȝiftes of negardes.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)15/137 : He ys a nyþyng, a noȝt, a negard, þai say.
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.Serv.& L.(Corp-C 296)243 : Ȝif þer be a gostly curat..not wastynge pore mennus almes in veyn feste..he schal be holde a nyggard.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)1498 : Dame Venus Kan make..the Negarde to be large.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)1.883 : We shul fare elles as these nygardes [vr. negardes] doo, ley vp here gold and [euyr] whil thei spare.
- c1450 Chaucer Fort.(Frf 16)53 : The negardes [vrr. nygardis; negardye] in kepinge hir richesse Prenostik ys thow wolt hire toure assayle.
- c1450 Wimbledon Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)88/439 : Negardes [vr. churles; Corp-C: worldly goodis profiteþ not to chynchis but to oþere þat comeþ aftir].
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)57b/a : Ne be þou neuere to coueitous ne no nygard.
- c1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Tbr A.7)22440 : They seyne eke they be lyberal, Though they be streyte..And greete nygardes in her hous.
b
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1742 : Slike a nekard [vr. neker] as þi-selfe, a noȝt of all othire, Is bot a madding to mell with mare þan him-seluen.