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> 私はあまりまめに書きませんが、ことばを学ぶのは大好きです。
>
> I don't write that well, but I love learning the language.

What is the etymology of the word まめ here and what specifically does it mean?

My friend gave me this explanation:

> 「まめに書きません」＝そんなによく書きません、あまり書きません、規則正しく書きません.
>
> まめに働きます＝まじめに一生懸命働きます」という言い方もあります。

I guess まめ is a colloquial word meaning to do well or do diligently?
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words etymology
What is the meaning and etymology of the (slang?) word まめ?
mame (ni) expresses the way in which one seriously works hard at something
without complaining about the task. Often you may translate it as
"diligent(ly)".

There is another common usage meaning "healthy" as in mame ni kurasu "to live
healthy".

You may see it written as 忠実 or 実.

The word is not new; it's been around for many hundreds of years, so I would
not say that it is slang.

Links:
[Daijirin](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%BE%E3%82%81&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=0&index=118563200000&pagenum=1),
[Daijisen](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%BE%E3%82%81&dtype=0&dname=0na&stype=0&index=17428700&pagenum=1).
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## Meaning of _mame_

As Dono explains, this can mean "diligent; serious; hardworking; hale,
healthy".

## Etymology of _mame_

### Reading

Although this has the same kana reading as 豆{まめ} "bean", it isn't the same
word. "Bean" is pronounced with a high second mora and then an immediate drop,
as in まめは【LHL】, while "serious" is pronounced with the so-called _heiban_ or
"flat" pitch accent, where the pitch rises on the second mora and then
gradually comes down, as in まめに【LHH】.

### Derivation

Derivationally, Shogakukan states that _mame_ "serious" is probably an
alteration from 真{ま} ("real, true") + 実{み} ("body, content; fruit, results"),
or from 真{ま} ("real, true") + 目{め} ("eye; appearance"). Meanwhile, [the entry
at nihonjiten.com](http://nihonjiten.com/data/254428.html) suggests a shift
from 真{ま} ("real, true") + 実{み} ("body, content; fruit, results"), an
abbreviation of 真面目{まじめ} ("serious"), or a shift from 正{ま} (irregular reading,
"real, true") + 身 ("body, content"). Dropping out the じ from the middle of まじめ
seems unlikely to me, so the other theories are probably closer to the root of
the matter.

As Dono notes, まめ in this sense has been in use for a long time. Its earliest
appearances are probably in the [_Nihon
Shoki_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihon_Shoki), finished some time around
720 CE. In [section 11 of volume 14 about Emperor
Yūryaku](http://miko.org/~uraki/kuon/furu/text/syoki/syoki14.htm#sk14_11), we
find the following text:

  * 忠{まめ}踰{なること}白日{てるひ}

This is in [漢文{かんぶん}](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanbun), which is
essentially Classical Chinese, so I'm unsure of the meaning, but it seems to
be "seriously shining sun" or something to that effect. At any rate, this まめ
does appear to be the same word, indicating a very long history in the
language. As Dono notes, this is not slang.
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