The Spanish verb 'escatimar', meaning 'to skimp' or 'to give minimally', has an interesting Germanic origin. It comes from the Gothic word '*skattjan' meaning 'to evaluate or calculate', which itself derived from the Gothic noun 'skatts' meaning 'money'. The semantic evolution from calculating or evaluating money to skimping or giving minimally makes intuitive sense - the careful calculation and evaluation of money naturally relates to being frugal or stingy with resources.

While 'escatimar' stands somewhat alone in modern Spanish without many common related words, Spanish learners might notice its usage in phrases like 'no escatimar esfuerzos' (to spare no effort) or 'escatimar gastos' (to cut costs).

While there aren't direct English cognates from this Gothic root, English speakers might find it helpful to associate 'escatimar' with words like 'scant' or 'scanty' - though these actually have a different etymology, they share a similar meaning of 'minimal' or 'barely sufficient' and can help remember the meaning of 'escatimar'.