The quality of being unkind, cruel, or stingy with money; lack of generosity or kindness.
From 'mean' (unkind or stingy) plus '-ness' (the state or quality of). The word 'mean' comes from Old English 'gemeene,' meaning 'common' or 'of low birth.'
It's surprising that 'mean' originally just meant 'common or ordinary,' but because common people were often treated badly, 'mean' evolved to mean cruel—a shift that shows how society viewed poverty!
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