a person who regularly drinks too much alcohol and is frequently drunk.
From Middle English 'dronken' (drunk) with the suffix '-ard' (one who excessively does something). Similar pattern in words like 'coward' and 'wizard' where '-ard' adds a judgmental tone.
The suffix '-ard' is fascinating—it's used for people who excessively or habitually do something (drunkard, coward, wizard), and it originally carried a judgmental, even insulting tone that still lingers in some words!
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