† niggishadj.
Obsolete.
Niggardly.Common c1550–1600.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > retaining > niggardliness or meanness > [adjective]
gnedec900
gripplea1000
fastOE
narrow-hearteda1200
narrow?c1225
straitc1290
chinchc1300
nithinga1325
scarcec1330
clama1340
hard1340
scantc1366
sparingc1386
niggardc1400
chinchy?1406
retentivea1450
niggardousa1492
niggish1519
unliberal1533
pinching1548
dry1552
nigh1555
niggardly1560
churlish1566
squeamish1566
niggardish1567
niggard-like1567
holding1569
spare1577
handfast1578
envious1580
close-handed1585
hard-handed1587
curmudgeonly1590
parsimonious?1591
costive1594
hidebound1598
penny-pinching1600
penurious1600
strait-handed1600
club-fisted1601
dry-fisted1604
fast-handed1605
fast-fingered1607
close-fisted1608
near1611
scanting1613
carkingc1620
illiberal1623
clutch-fisteda1634
hideboundeda1640
clutch-fista1643
clunch-fisted1644
unbounteous1645
hard-fisted1646
purse-bound1652
close1654
stingy1659
tenacious1676
scanty1692
sneaking1696
gripe-handed1698
narrow-souled1699
niggardling1704
snippy1727
unindulgent1742
shabby1766
neargoinga1774
cheesemongering1781
split-farthing1787
save-all1788
picked1790
iron-fisted1794
unhandsome1800
scaly1803
nearbegoing1805
tight1805
nippit1808
nipcheese1819
cumin-splitting1822
partan-handed1823
scrimping1823
scrumptious1823
scrimpy1825
meanly1827
skinny1833
pinchfisted1837
mean1840
tight-fisted1843
screwy1844
stinty1849
cheeseparing1857
skinflinty1886
mouly1904
mingy1911
cheapskate1912
picey1937
tight-assed1961
chintzy1964
tightwad1976
1519 [implied in: W. Horman Vulgaria xvii. f. 160 I yete rye bredde for no nyggyshenesse: but for a poynte of physycke. (at niggishness n.)].
1533 tr. Erasmus Enchiridion Militis Christiani xxi. sig. Piv Thou art prycked vnto couetousnes and nyggysshe kepyng.
1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes f. 74 Persones yt dooe glorie & braggue of their niggyshe sloovenry.
1577 H. I. tr. H. Bullinger 50 Godlie Serm. II. iii. ii. sig. Cc.ivv/1 Let our wealthie pinchpence therefore..leaue their niggish liues and insatiable couetousnesse.
1605 W. Camden Remaines i. 196 Others Maximes..proceeding from a niggish olde wife.
1653 T. Urquhart tr. F. Rabelais 1st Bk. Wks. liv. 237 Base pinching Usurers, Pelf-lickers,..gulpers of mists: Niggish deformed sots.
Derivatives
niggishly adv. rare
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > retaining > niggardliness or meanness > [adverb]
narrowlya1250
feeblyc1290
scarcely1340
straitly1340
strait1390
niggardly?1529
nighly1548
pinchingly1561
close-fisted1575
hard1580
niggishly1580
nearly1591
mincingly1593
costively1598
penuriously1616
neara1625
scantingly1627
parsimoniouslya1634
scrapingly1680
stingily1682
scrimply1690
sneakingly1695
churlishly1875
curmudgeonly1879
skinflintily1899
mingily1958
1580 C. Hollyband Treasurie French Tong Escharcement vivre, to liue barely, to liue hardly, niggishly.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1519