# stingy / greedy



## ThomasK

Do you have separate words for these in your language? Thanks!


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## ger4

In German, 'stingy' is normally translated as _geizig_, 'greedy' is _gierig_.
_
Geiz ist geil_ (= something like 'stinginess is cool') is a slogan that was used to advertise some low-priced electronic equipment a couple of years ago, I think. In a way it combined the two ideas ('be as greedy as you can, be as stingy - pay as little - as you want'). If taken seriously, it can be seen as a symbol for some kind of shallow consumerism... Interesting to read in this article that the Belgian version was _gierig is plezierig..._


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## Armas

Finnish

stingy = nuuka, kitsas, pihi, saita, itara
greedy = ahne, ahnas


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## ThomasK

@Armas: I am amazed that there are that many words for 'stingy'...

@holger: in Dutch
- stingy : gierig, the person being a 'vrek'
- greedy: hebzuchtig
So I think this _Gier's_ meaning has shifted within the Western Germanic languages. We do have _begerig_, but that is not a character but a description ofa moment (_begerig naar_ [nach/ for], something like 'craving for' - but not a verb; maybe something like _cupid_...)

_Geil_ would be _tof, top_, ... ; _plezierig_ is more like pleasant.


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## ger4

ThomasK said:


> - greedy: hebzuchtig


I forgot _habsüchtig. _In German, this is more typical for rather formal speech..


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## apmoy70

Greek:

Stingy: Colloquialism *«τσιγγούνης»* ʦ͡iŋˈgunis] (masc.), *«τσιγγούνα»* [ʦ͡iŋˈguna] (fem.) with obscure etymology. Babiniotis suggests it's a late Byzantine word, a loanword from Turkish < çingene, _gypsy_ (a Byzantine stereotype of the Romani people).
Another colloquialism is *«καβούριας»* [kaˈvur͡ʝas] (masc.) --> _crabber_; the image is that one keeps crabs inside his pockets that use their claws every time he dives in and prevent him from being generous with money < MoGr neut. noun *«καβούρι»* [kaˈvuɾi] < ByzGr masc. noun *«κάβουρος» kábouros* --> _crab, cructacean_ after metathesis from the Classical masc. noun *«κάραβος» kā́rabŏs* --> _prickly crustacean, horned beetle_ (with obscure etymology).
Formally *«φιλάργυρος»* [fiˈlarʝiros] (masc. & fem.) < Classical masc. & fem. nominal *«φιλάργυρος» pʰĭlárgurŏs* --> lit. _person loving silver_, metaph. _person loving money_ < compound; Classical nominal *«φίλος» pʰílŏs* --> _friend, friendly, dear_ (with unclear etymology) + Classical masc. noun *«ἄργυρος» ắrgurŏs* --> _silver, silver coins_, later, _money_ (PIE *h₂erǵ- _brilliant white_ cf Skt. अर्जुन (árjuna), _white, bright_; Av. ərəzata, _silver_; Hitt. arkuu̯ae- _to make a plea_; ToB ārkwi, _white_; Lat. argentum).

Greedy: *«Άπληστος»* [ˈaplistos] (masc.), *«άπληστη»* [ˈaplisti] (fem.), *«άπληστο»* [ˈaplisto] (neut.) < Classical nominal *«ἄπληστος, -τος, -τον» ắplēstŏs* (masc. & fem.), *ắplēstŏn* (neut.) --> _insatiate, greedy_ < compound; privative prefix *«ἀ-» a-* + Classical ambitransitive v. *«πλήθω» plḗtʰō* --> _to fill, make full_, intr. _to fill oneself, become _or_ be full_ (PIE *pleh₁- _to fill_ cf Skt. पृणाति (pṛnā́ti), _to fill_; Lat. plēre).


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## 810senior

Stingy: ケチなkechi-na, けちくさいkechi-kusai(kusai is a kind of affix which stands for the tendency or doubt about that and its original meaning is stinking, evil-smelling)
Greedy: 欲深いyoku-bukai 欲張りなyoku-barina (yoku=greed, avarice; bukai=inf. fukai[deep], as for other parts I don't know how much of them can be analyzed...)


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## Gavril

Some other terms for "a stingy person" in English are _tightwad_, _skinflint_ and _miser._

_miser_ and _skinflint_ have additional implications: they generally refer to someone who hoards money and is reluctant to use it for anything, whereas _stingy _and_ tightwad_ can simply mean that someone won't spend much money in a particular situation.



ThomasK said:


> - stingy : gierig, the person being a 'vrek
> - greedy: hebzuchtig
> So I think this _Gier's_ meaning has shifted within the Western Germanic languages.



Related to _gierig_ and (probably) _vrek_ are Icelandic _ágirnd_ "greed" and _frekja_ "pushiness, greed".


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## ThomasK

@810sr: this link with stinking is very peculiar, but I suppose it is like an indication of a negative judgment ("This is disgusting")... Could the _greed_ word have to do with food (because I think I see the 'mouth' symbol in it), like gluttony?

@Gavril: interesting additions! There are often a lot of words for referring to stinginess. (And Icelandic is close to Germanic languages, I believe...)


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## 810senior

ThomasK said:


> @810sr: this link with stinking is very peculiar, but I suppose it is like an indication of a negative judgment ("This is disgusting")...



Sorry for my insufficient explanation. The kusai here in kechi-kusai is used as affix, apparently similar to the way minded(e.g. narrow-minded) or -like(e.g. childlike) works in English. _Kechi _itself has the almost same meaning along with it of English. (as you pointed it out, kusai is mainly used for negative cases, for example, such as _don-kusai_(*stupid *lit. slow-like, don means slowness, retarded), gaki-kusai(*childish *lit. child-like, gaki is a slang for children).



ThomasK said:


> Could the _greed_ word have to do with food (because I think I see the 'mouth' symbol in it), like gluttony?


Yes you can, it makes sense. (but mouth symbol doesn't have to do with that meaning, it's just a part of kanji).


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## ThomasK

I see... _(As for the 'mouth' symbol, I was just referrring to what I read about Chinese symbols, but I am an outright amateur!)_


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## Dymn

Catalan:

stingy: _*garrepa*, _from _garra _'claw';_ *agarrat*_, past participle of _agarrar_, from _garra _too; *gasiu*, unknown etymology; *rata *'rat'
greedy: *cobdiciós*, from _cobdícia _'greed', from Latin *_cupiditia, _from _cupiditas _'desire, lust';_ *cobejós*_, a doublet of the latter; *àvid*, from Latin _avidus _'greedy, eager, gluttonous', from _avere _'crave, long for'
_
*Avar* _and _*avariciós* _(from _avere _too) could be included in both translations, I think.

Spanish:

stingy:* tacaño*, from Italian _taccagno,_* agarrado*_, _*mezquino *from Arabic _miskīn, _ultimately from Accadian *_muškēnu[m] _'palace subject'_, *rata*_
greedy: _*codicioso*, *ávido*
_
The same for Catalan, _*avaro* _and _*avaricioso.*_


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## ThomasK

Excellent information. Could it be that _*tacaño*_ refers to _toccare, touch_, and therefore _take_ ?


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## mexerica feliz

stingy = pão-duro _or _avarento
greedy = ganancioso


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## ThomasK

Could you comment on the roots? I could imagine 'duro' being 'hard', and maybe 'pao' has to do with paying (It. _pagare_)? But _ganancioso_?


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## Dymn

ThomasK said:


> Excellent information. Could it be that _*tacaño*_ refers to _toccare, touch_, and therefore _take_ ?


I don't know. I've googled it and I haven't found any conclusive etymology. However one theory is that it is related to English _take_, but via old Germanic languages, not tracing back to PIE.


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## ThomasK

In the meantime we have learnt some Italian:_* taccagno >> taccagneria*_ (more synonyms, according to Wikipedia: avarizia, spilorceria, tirchieria)...


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## Gavril

How common is it (cross-linguistically) to use words meaning "stingy" in sports-related contexts?

For example, in English (or at least in the United States), you will sometimes see phrases like "_stingy defense_", meaning a defense that rarely allows the other side to score.


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## ThomasK

Uncommon with us, I think, but I could imagine using 'greedy' in a sports context (greedy for success, but we will mostly say: 'hongerig', hungry).

Well, I tried to explore those extensions regarding relations at the CC.


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## bibax

Czech:

stingy = skoupý, lakomý, skrblivý, škudlivý;
greedy = chamtivý, hamižný;

Strýček Skrblík = Scrooge McDuck (lit. Uncle Skinflint);

skinflint = lakomec, skrblík, držgrešle (lit. holding-greschl);


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## ThomasK

Again that many names for 'stingy'. I suppose it is because it does not fit in with a community spirit... Just BTW: does the 'sku-' root have a specific meaning ('have", 'grab'?) ?

It seems to me that we do not use any of those terms that much anymore in Dutch. Not even in a non-fig. sense. Because it is judgmental? Because greed or stinginess are widely accepted, and thus are no langer called like that? 'Begerig' might be more common, something like "*avid*", which seems to have both a positive and a pejorative meaning... Or *'hungry* for'...


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## Ghabi

Gavril said:


> in English (or at least in the United States), you will sometimes see phrases like "_stingy defense_", meaning a defense that rarely allows the other side to score.


In Cantonese, "stingy" (gu1hon6) defense (in soccer) would mean a side is too eager to keep the possession, at the risk of giving a chance to their opponents to steal the ball, i.e. a defender tries to hold the ball under his feet, instead of clearing it away right away (often with disastrous result).


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## 810senior

Gavril said:


> How common is it (cross-linguistically) to use words meaning "stingy" in sports-related contexts?
> 
> For example, in English (or at least in the United States), you will sometimes see phrases like "_stingy defense_", meaning a defense that rarely allows the other side to score.



At least in Japanese language I can't somewhat imagine how the word meaning stingy can be used in the context of sports, since it's only used when you describe the personality someone would have.
I guess stingy defense is apparently close to 鉄壁の守りteppeki no mamori(lit. the ironwall-like defense), which means what that English phrase refers to.


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## ThomasK

The only thing I can think of is "*zuinig*", which means "economic" in the sense of "trying to save money by not buying things, etc." or (with an 'impersonal' noun) "typical of such people". We can say: "een zuinig lachje", lit. 'an economic laugh/ smile", so not generous, you could, not outright. It is like a "kramp", we'd say.

Yet, it is not negative as such. It fits into the idea of sustainability: you don't buy/ consume/.... more than you need.


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## ilocas2

bibax said:


> greedy = chamtivý, hamižný; hrabivý



I'm adding one more word for greedy in Czech.


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## mataripis

Stingy is kuripot ( not an open giver) and Greedy is Gahaman and Tuso (h) that means want too much.


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