girig

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish girugher, gerogher (compare Norwegian girug), to an earlier Old East Norse *girugr ← *girugʀ, potentially to a Proto-Norse *ᚷᛁᚱᚢᚷᚨᛉ (*girugaʀ); in root akin to *girį̄ +‎ *-gaz; via pattern from Old Danish girig, Middle Low German gerich, Old High German girig (compare German gierig). First recorded in the 13th century Westrogothic law (Westgöta-Lagen).

Related to Old Swedish giri (“greed, desire”), Old High German giri from Proto-Germanic *girį̄. Compare to Western Old Norse gráðugr.

Adjective

girig (comparative girigare, superlative girigast)

1. greedy (having greed; consumed by selfish desires)
2. (in some compounds) eager (to have something)

Declension

Inflection of girig

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	girig	girigare	girigast
neuter singular	girigt	girigare	girigast
plural	giriga	girigare	girigast
masculine plural2	girige	girigare	girigast
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	girige	girigare	girigaste
all	giriga	girigare	girigaste

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Related terms

• girighet

Further reading

• “girig”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)