mesquí

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic مِسْكِين (miskīn, “poor”), from Classical Syriac ܡܶܣܟܸܐܢܳܐ / ܡܶܣܟܸܢܳܐ / ܡܶܣܟܸܝܢܳܐ (meskēnā, “miserable, wretched”), from Akkadian 𒈦𒆕𒂗 (muškēnum, “beggar, needy, indigent”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [məsˈki]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [mesˈki]

Adjective

mesquí (feminine mesquina, masculine plural mesquins, feminine plural mesquines)

1. (archaic, dialectal) misfortunate, miserable
2. mean, stingy
3. vile, despicable
4. paltry, wretched (of quantity or size)

Synonyms

• (stingy): gasiu
• (vile): roí
• (wretchedly small): esquifit

Derived terms

• mesquinejar
• mesquinesa

Further reading

• “mesquí” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.