English
miser
Miser comes from Late Latin miser ‘wretched, unfortunate, unhappy, miserable,…’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *misseros.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*misserosreconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEmiser‘wretched, unfortunate, unhappy, miserable, sick, ill, bad, worthless, etc’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500misser
- Englishearliest quotation 1577miser
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*misserosreconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEmiser‘wretched, unfortunate, unhappy, miserable, sick, ill, bad, worthless, etc’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500misser
- Englishearliest quotation 1577miser
Earliest quotation: 1577, Antonio de Guevara, A Chronicle: “[…] foꝛ it was many times notoꝛious vnto al…”
Linked words
through Late Latin miser ‘wretched, unfortunate, unhappy, miserable,…’
Today it means
noun A person who hoards money rather than spending it; one who is cheap or extremely parsimonious.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *misseros / miser