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meager

Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 9:11 pm
by tcward
From EtymOnline.com:
meager

c.1300, "lean, thin, emaciated" (of persons or animals), from O.Fr. megre, maigre, from L. macrum (nom. macer) "lean, thin," from PIE *makro- (see macro-). Of material things (land, food, etc.) from 1501.
I just thought it was interesting how this word was directly related to emaciated, but it seems that the two words diverged in their applications (things vs. people).

-Tim

Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 9:44 pm
by Brazilian dude
Magro in Portuguese, Italian and less often in Spanish, French maigre and Catalan magre refer to somebody thin. Romanian macru seems to be used only for meat, though.

Brazilian dude