scrooge
UK[skruːdʒ]US[skruːdʒ]
n
a person who is unwilling to spend money; a miser.
Etymology
the word originates from the surname of ebenezer scrooge, the miserly protagonist in charles dickens's 1843 novella "a christmas carol." dickens may have chosen the name for its harsh, grating sound, which was possibly influenced by the english verb "scrouge," meaning to squeeze or press, a dialectal word of obscure origin. the character's profound transformation from a cold-hearted skinflint to a benevolent man cemented his name in the language as the archetype of extreme stinginess. thus, a personal name evolved through literary fame into a standard english lexical item denoting a miser.
Analysis
this is a proper noun adopted as a common noun. it does not segment into meaningful, reusable morphemes based on its current english spelling.
Examples
don't be such a scrooge and buy a round of drinks for everyone.
his reputation as a scrooge made him very unpopular with his family.
the company's scrooge-like policies offered no bonuses even after a record profit year.