Is this a valid use of the word "meager"?

Question

I was reading the news on Yahoo and came across this paragraph:

"The son of a baker who was an amateur singer, Pavarotti was born Oct. 12, 1935, in Modena. He had a meager upbringing, though he said it was rich with happiness."

I understand "meager" to mean "very little amount of [something]", so does a "meager upbringing" mean he was hardly brought up? Enngh?

I can guess that the reporter meant he was brought up in a simple manner, or maybe even under privation, but why can't he just say exactly that?

Answer 1

It's an old fashioned sense of the word 'meager,' but perfectly proper. It'd be similar to saying 'he had a mean upbringing,' not implying that his parents were bullies, but that they didn't have much material wealth.

The use of slightly archaic senses of a word, as long as the meaning is clear, is one thing that I particularly enjoy encountering. Please let's NOT encourage news editors to edit the English language down to the least common denominator! When we encounter an unusual, but clear, use of a word, it teaches us more about our language.

That's one reason I love reading the Economist and the Atlantic. The editors assume their readers can read at a college level, and edit their reporters' rhetorical flourishes accordingly. I've read those magazines since high school, and they've taught me a lot about the language, particularly how it can charm as well as inform. It's also why I often avoid local newspapers, because they're too often apparently intended for 8th graders.

Answer 2

I totally agree with johnny sunshine about not "dumbing down" writing. Keep the grade level high. I remember as a child looking up words and usages I didn't understand when reading the newspaper or a book. I wish more people would do that today instead of coming on yahoo and asking "what does X mean?" I guess that is why newspapers today (an a large percentage of the TV news outlets, feel they must write or talk at an 8th grade level if not lower.

I like your question as it shows you know what the word means (or looked it up yourself) but question it's usage. Your question is a good one since this usage is relatively rare but, I believe, proper.

Answer 3

I guess in an oblique way
this is natural ..