money-hungry

The compound 'money-hungry' is a modern English formation that metaphorically extends the physical sensation of hunger to an intense psychological craving. The first element, 'money', traces its lineage to Latin 'moneta', originally an epithet for the goddess Juno in whose temple coins were minted, thus becoming synonymous with coined currency. The second element, 'hungry', originates from the Old English 'hungrig', describing the primal need for food. By combining these concepts, the term creates a vivid image of a person whose desire for wealth is as urgent and consuming as the biological drive to eat, effectively pathologizing extreme greed.

Structure: money (wealth) + hungry (desirous) - money: From Middle English 'moneie', from Old French 'monoie', from Latin 'moneta' (mint, coinage). In this compound, it functions as a noun denoting the object of desire. - hungry: From Old English 'hungrig' (hungry, famished), from Proto-Germanic 'hungrugaz'. In this compound, it functions as an adjective meaning having a strong desire or craving for something.