Curmudgeon Definition

Origin of Curmudgeon

• An alternative spelling attested in 1600 is cornmudgin, in Holland's translation of Livy, rendering frumentarius "corn-merchant". This has been suggested as the original form of the word, but English Dictionary OED notes that curmudgeon is attested some years before this, concluding that cornmudgin was merely a nonce-word by Holland.

  From Wiktionary

• The word is attested from the late 1500s in the forms curmudgeon and curmudgen, and during the 17th century in numerous spelling variants, including cormogeon, cormogion, cormoggian, cormudgeon, curmudgion, curmuggion, curmudgin, curr-mudgin, curre-megient.

  From Wiktionary

• Numerous folk etymologies exist for this word.

  From Wiktionary

• Origin unknown

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition