Sense file
How the sense moved
The archive follows the dated record first, then reads the social or rhetorical pressure that hardened, softened, narrowed, or reversed the word.
Older meaning
Needy, having nothing, evil, or morally corrupt.
Modern meaning
Mischievous, badly behaved, or mildly improper.
Research lens
Material lack and moral badness cool into manageable impropriety, which is why the modern word can still sound half warning, half wink.
Meaning trail
Root
having naught
Nothingness and worthlessness shaped the old field.
Older sense
bad or corrupt
The word could carry real moral weight.
Now
mischievous
Modern speech often makes the word playful.