Stay hungry, stay foolish
To hunger, long for —
From Middle English gredy, from Anglian Old English grÄ“diÄ¡ (“greedy, hungry, eagerâ€)(cognate West Saxon form grÇ£diÄ¡), from Proto-Germanic *grÄ“dagaz (“hungryâ€), from Proto-Germanic *grÄ“daz, *grÄ“duz, *grÄ“dô(“hungerâ€), from Proto-Indo-European*gÊ°rÄ“dÊ°- (“to be hungry, long forâ€), equivalent to greed +‎ -y.
The term “greed” originates from the Old English word “grædig,” meaning “voracious” or “covetous,” which itself comes from a Proto-Germanic root. This root is also the source of related words in other Germanic languages, such as the Old Saxon “gradag,” meaning “greedy,” and the Old Norse “grÄðigr,” with a similar meaning. The Proto-Germanic root is reconstructed as *grÄ“daz, which likely meant “hungry” or “eager,” and it is possibly derived from a Proto-Indo-European root expressing the concept of hunger or eagerness.
Over time, the meaning of “greed” has evolved and expanded. In its early uses in English, it primarily described physical hunger or appetite, but by the Middle Ages, it had taken on the more specific sense of an excessive or inappropriate desire for wealth or possessions. This transition reflects a broader shift in the word’s connotation, from a neutral description of desire or need to a moral judgment about the nature and appropriateness of that desire.
The current definition of greed, as an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food, reflects centuries of this moral, social, and linguistic evolution. The term now encompasses a broad range of behaviors and attitudes, from the personal to the societal, and it is often used in discussions of ethics, economics, and politics to critique individuals or systems that prioritize accumulation and consumption over other values.