Greed Was Formed Backwards From Greedy
Greed is intense selfish desire. The adjective greedy is far older, and the noun was built from it centuries later.
Greed is intense and selfish desire, especially for wealth or food. The word order is reversed from what you would expect: *greedy* is Old English and over a thousand years old, while the noun *greed* was back-formed from it only in the sixteenth century. English speakers had the adjective for centuries before anyone made a noun to match. The same process gave *edit* from *editor* and *burgle* from *burglar*.
- Selfish desire. *Corporate greed.*
- Greedy — the older adjective. *A greedy child.*
- Avarice — the formal synonym. *Naked avarice.*
- Covetous — desiring what others have. *Covetous glances.*
- Back-formation — how greed was made. *A back-formation.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | greed | Pure greed. |
| Adjective | greedy | Greedy behaviour. |
| Adverb | greedily | Ate greedily. |
| Synonym | avarice | Avarice. |
| Old English | grædig | Greedy. |
- Greed drove the whole scheme.Motive.
- Don't be greedy with the biscuits.Everyday.
- Greedy is a thousand years older.Word history.
Words for wanting too much
- Greed — general selfish desire
- Avarice — specifically for money, formal
- Cupidity — the same, from Latin for desire
- Covetousness — wanting what belongs to others
- Gluttony — greed specifically for food
A back-formation from *greedy*, Old English *grædig*, from a Germanic root meaning hungry or eager.
Which came first, greed or greedy?
Greedy, by about six hundred years. The noun greed was formed from the adjective in the 1500s.
What is a back-formation?
A word made by removing what looks like a suffix from an existing word, such as edit from editor.