sluggard
/ˈslʌɡərd/
noun
Origin
Middle English
slugge — sluggard, lazy person
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person who is habitually lazy or idle.
Language path
Middle English → English
Earliest form
sluggard
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term is constructed using the suffix '-ard', a French-derived pejorative suffix common in English (found also in 'drunkard' or 'coward'), attached to the Middle English 'slugge'. It reflects a time when English frequently adopted Continental suffixes to categorize character traits.
Evolution
- 13th century (Middle English)
slugge
“a lazy person”
Originating from the verb 'sluggen'
- 16th century (Early Modern English)
sluggard
“a lazy person”
Addition of the pejorative suffix '-ard'
Connections
Word parts
slug
root
to be lazy
-ard
suffix
denoting a person associated with a quality
Related across languages
Middle Low German
slugge
a lazy person
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Related to sluggard
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.