meagerly
UK[ˈmiːɡəli]US[ˈmiːɡərli]
adv
in a way that is too small in amount or number; inadequately or poorly.
adv
in a thin or lean manner; without fullness or richness.
Morpheme Breakdown
meager
ly
meager
ly
Etymology
the adverb 'meagerly' is built upon the adjective 'meager', which entered english from old french 'maigre', itself derived from latin 'macer' meaning thin, lean, or poor. the latin term can be traced back to the proto-indo-european root 'māk-', meaning long, thin, which also gave rise to words like 'emaciate'. the suffix '-ly' is of germanic origin, used in old english to form adverbs from adjectives, indicating manner. thus, the literal construction "in a lean manner" evolved to describe actions performed with scant resources, inadequacy, or a lack of fullness, perfectly capturing its modern abstract sense of doing something in a deficient or poor way.
Analysis
Structure: meager + ly
- meager: from old french 'maigre', from latin 'macer' (thin, lean). functions as the adjective root.
- ly: from old english '-līc' (having the form or character of). functions as an adverb-forming suffix.
Examples
the refugees were meagerly supplied with food and water.
he lived meagerly on a small pension, rarely indulging in luxuries.
the room was meagerly furnished, containing only a bed and a chair.