gaspilleux

Norman

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle French gaspiller (“to waste”) (c. 1549). Of uncertain origin. Perhaps a modification of Middle French gaspailler (“to throw back/reject bullets of wheat”) from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French gaspail, vaspale (“bullet of wheat”) (compare Medieval Latin gaspalium; ), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Frankish *wispila (“measure of grain”) from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Germanic *wisp- (“measure of grain”). Akin to Middle Dutch wispel, Middle Low German wispel, Norwegian visp, English wisp (“handful or bundle of hay or grass”). More at wisp.

Alternate etymology connects Middle French gaspiller to Frankish *gaspillan, *gaspildjan (“to waste”) from Proto-Germanic *gaspilþijaną (“to destroy, waste”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *spel- (“to break off, split”), making it cognate with Old High German gaspildan (“to squander, waste”), Middle Dutch spillen (“to waste”), Old English ġespillan (“to spill, waste, spend”). Compare also Occitan guespillar, gispillar (“to trouble, tease”) from the same Germanic source. More at spill.

Noun

gaspilleux m (plural gaspilleurs)

1. (Jersey) spendthrift

Synonyms

• dêpensyi
• saccageux
• trébuque-bein