Jimp
/dʒɪmp/noun
Slender, trim, neat, or scanty, especially in dialectal or literary usage.
Did you know?Jimp is a genuine but obscure Scots and English word whose earliest origin remains uncertain, making it an example of how everyday vocabulary can preserve a lost linguistic mystery.
Etymological Timeline
18th Century
Scots
jimp
“Slender, trim, or neat; the earliest clearly documented usage is associated with Scots and northern English dialect.”
18th Century
English
jimp
“Used in literary and dialectal English for something slender, slight, or delicately made.”
19th Century
English
jimp
“Extended in some contexts to mean scanty or insufficient in amount.”
20th Century
English
jimp
“Survives chiefly as a rare dialectal or literary adjective meaning slender, trim, or scanty.”
Modern English
English
jimp
“An uncommon word referring to something slim, neat, or slight; its ultimate etymology remains uncertain.”