malinger
Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 10:49 am
by William Hupy
I just used this word today in a work related paper I am writing. My information is that it comes from France (but I smell a previous Latin incarnation) and arrived on the shores of English speakers about 1820. Anybody?
Re: malinger
Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 12:02 pm
by Slava
Nope, no Latin.
1785 (implied in malingerer), from Fr. malingrer "to suffer," perhaps also "pretend to be ill," from malingre "ailing, sickly," possibly a blend of mingre "sickly, miserable" and malade "ill." Mingre is itself a blend of maigre "meager" + haingre "sick, haggard," possibly from Gmc. (cf. M.H.G. hager "thin"). The sense evolution may be through notion of beggars with sham sores.