Etymologically
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frugalis

Etymology and origin of the Latin word frugalis

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*bʰrewHg-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [fruːˈɡaː.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [fruˈɡaː.lis][1]

Forms

frūgālis (neuter frūgāle, comparative frūgālior, superlative frūgālissimus, adverb frūgāliter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from frūx “produce”, plural ⟨frūgēs⟩, with the suffix -ālis.[2][1][3] The Thesaurus thinks it was drawn back from the adverb ⟨frūgāliter⟩ and the comparative ⟨frūgālior⟩.[4] The undeclined adjective frūgī “useful, honest, thrifty” is the dative of ⟨frūx⟩.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of the comparative frūgālior.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It served as the comparative and superlative of frūgī: frūgālior, frūgālissimus “more, most thrifty, sober, honest”, as in Plautus, Terence and Cicero.[2][6] The positive frūgālis is rare, and Quintilian criticises it as pedantry, and an inscription has it.[2][6] Apuleius used it for “of produce, of the harvest”.[2][7]

British Medieval Latin used it for of good character, sober, and thrifty, sparing.[8] English frugal came through French in the 1590s, “economical in use”.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses frūgālior.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses frūgālissimus.[2][5]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian criticises the positive.[2][5]
  • 1590s – English frugal is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Sober, temperate, honest; thrifty, frugal.[2][6]
  2. Of produce, of the harvest.[2]

Word family

  • frūgālitās
  • frūgāliter

Usage notes

In Classical Latin the positive degree is normally the indeclinable frūgī, frūgālis supplies the comparative and superlative.[2][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
Cite this entry

“Frugalis.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/frugalis. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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