Online Etymology Dictionary

nay: word of negation, c.1175, from O.N. nei, compound of ne "not" (see un-) + ei "ever." Nay-say "refusal" is from 1631.
Nazarene: c.1275, "a native or resident of Nazareth" town in Lower Galilee, childhood home of Jesus, from Heb. Natzerath. In Talmudic Heb. notzri, lit. "of Nazareth," meant "a Christian;" likewise Arabic Nasrani (pl. Nasara). In Christian use, however, it can be a nickname for Jesus, or refer to an early Jewish Christian sect, or, in modern use, to a member of the Church of the Nazarene, a U.S.-based Protestant denomination (1898 in this sense).
Nazi: 1930, from Ger. Nazi, abbreviation of Ger. pronunciation of Nationalsozialist (based on earlier Ger. sozi, popular abbreviaton of "socialist"), from Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei "National Socialist German Workers' Party," led by Hitler from 1920. The 24th edition of Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache (2002) says the word Nazi was favored in southern Germany (supposedly from c.1924) among opponents of National Socialism because the nickname Nazi (from the masc. proper name Ignatz, Ger. form of Ignatius) was used colloquially to mean "a foolish person, clumsy or awkward person." Ignatz was a popular name in Catholic Austria, and according to one source in WWI Nazi was a generic name in the German Empire for the soldiers of Austria-Hungary. An older use of Nazi for national-sozial is attested in Ger. from 1903, but EWdS does not think it contributed to the word as applied to Hitler and his followers. The NSDAP for a time attempted to adopt the Nazi designation as what the Germans call a "despite-word," but they gave this up, and the NSDAP is said to have generally avoided the term. Before 1930, party members had been called in Eng. National Socialists, which dates from 1923. The use of Nazi Germany, Nazi regime, etc., was popularized by German exiles abroad. From them, it spread into other languages, and eventually brought back to Germany, after the war. In the USSR, the terms national socialist and Nazi were said to have been forbidden after 1932, presumably to avoid any taint to the good word socialist. Soviet literature refers to fascists.
ne plus ultra: "utmost limit to which one can go," 1638, from L., lit. "no more beyond," traditionally inscribed on the Pillars of Hercules.
ne'er-do-well (n.): "one who is good for nothing," 1737, Scot. and northern Eng. dialect, from contraction of phrase never do well. The adj. is first recorded 1773.
Neanderthal: 1861, from Ger. Neanderthal "Neander Valley," gorge near Düsseldorf where humanoid fossils were identified in 1856. The place name is from the Graecized form of Joachim Neumann (lit. "new man," Gk. *neo-ander), 1650-1680, Ger. pastor, poet and hymn-writer, who made this a favorite spot in the 1670s. Adopting a classical form of one's surname was a common practice among educated Germans in this era.
neap: O.E. nepflod "neap flood," the tide occurring at the end of the first and third quarters of the lunar month, in which high waters are at their lowest, of unknown origin, with no known cognates (Dan. niptid probably is from English). Original sense seems to be "without power."
Neapolitan: 1412, "native or resident of Naples," lit. "of Naples," preserving the Gk. name of the city, Neapolis "New City," from nea, fem. of neos "new" (see neo-) + polis "city" (see policy (1)). Meaning "ice cream of three layers and flavors" is from 1895. In early 18c., Neapolitan consolation meant "syphilis."
near: O.E. near "closer, nearer," comp. of neah, neh "nigh." Influenced by O.N. naer "near," it came to be used as a positive form mid-13c., and new comp. nearer developed 1500s (see nigh). Originally an adv., but now supplanted in most such senses by nearly; it has in turn supplanted correct nigh as an adjective. In near and dear (1620s) it refers to nearness of kinship. Verb meaning "to draw near" is attested from 1510s. Nearly (1530s) originally meant "carefully;" sense of "almost, all but" is from 1680s. Near by "close at hand" is from late 14c. Near East first attested 1891, in Kipling. Near-sighted is from 1686. Near beer "low-alcoholic brew" is from 1909.
neat (adj.): 1542, "clean, free from dirt," from Anglo-Fr. neit, from O.Fr. net "clear, pure," from L. nitidus "well-favored, elegant, trim," lit. "gleaming," from nitere "to shine," from PIE base *nei-/*ni- "to shine" (cf. M.Ir. niam "gleam, splendor," niamda "shining;" O.Ir. noib "holy," niab "strength;" Welsh nwyfiant "gleam, splendor"). Meaning "inclined to be tidy" is from 1577. Sense of "straight liquor" is c.1800, from meaning "unadulterated" (of wine), first attested 1579. Informal sense of "very good" first recorded 1934 in Amer.Eng.; variant neato is teenager slang, first recorded 1968. Neatnik "excessively tidy person" is from 1959 (see -nik).
neath: 1787, poetic shortening of beneath (q.v.).
neb: "beak or bill of a bird," O.E. nebb "beak, nose, face," common Gmc. (cf. O.N. nef "beak, nose," Ger. Schnabel "beak," O.Fris. snavel "mouth"), perhaps somehow connected with the source of nave (2).
nebbish: 1907, nebbich, from Yiddish, from a Slavic source akin to Czech neboh "poor, unfortunate," lit. "un-endowed."
Nebraska: from a native Siouan name for the Platte River, either Omaha ni braska or Oto ni brathge, both lit. "water flat." The modern river name is from Fr. rivière platte, which means "flat river."
Nebuchadnezzar: king of Babylon (604-562 B.C.E.), from Heb. Nebhukhadhnetztzar, from Babylonian Nabu-kudurri-usur, probably lit. "Nebo, protect the boundary."
nebula: c.1420, nebule "a cloud, mist," from L. nebula "mist," from PIE *nebh- "cloud, vapor, fog, moist, sky" (cf. Skt. nabhas- "vapor, cloud, mists, fog, sky;" Gk. nephele, nephos "cloud;" Ger. nebel "fog;" O.E. nifol "dark;" Welsh niwl "cloud, fog;" Slav. nebo). Re-borrowed from L. 1661 in sense of "cataracts in the eye;" astronomical meaning "cloud-like patch in the night sky" first recorded c.1730. As early as Hershel (1802) astronomers realized that some nebulae were star clusters, but distinction of gas clouds from distant galaxies was not made until c.1930.
nebulous: late 14c., "cloudy, misty," from L. nebulosus "cloudy, misty, foggy," from nebula (see nebula). The fig. sense of "hazy, vague, formless" is first attested 1831.
necessary: mid-14c. (n.), late 14c. (adj.), from L. necessarius, from necesse "unavoidable, indispensable," originally "no backing away," from ne- "not" + cedere "to withdraw, go away, yield" (see cede). Necessary house "privy" is from c.1600. Necessity (late 14c.) is from O.Fr. necessité, from L. necessitatem (nom. necessitas) "compulsion, need for attention." Necessitate is first attested 1620s.
neck: O.E. hnecca "neck, back of the neck" (a fairly rare word) from P.Gmc. *khnekkon "the nape of the neck" (cf. O.Fris. hnekka, M.Du. necke, O.N. hnakkr, O.H.G. hnach, Ger. Nacken "neck"), with no certain cognates outside Gmc., though some suggest PIE *knok- "high point, ridge" (cf. O.Ir. cnocc, Welsh cnwch, O.Bret. cnoch "hill"). The more usual O.E. words were hals (the general Gmc. word, cf. Goth., O.N., Dan., Swed., Du., Ger. hals), cognate with L. collum (see collar); and swira, probably also from a PIE root meaning "column" (cf. Skt. svaru- "post"). The verb meaning "to kiss, embrace, caress" is first recorded 1825 (implied in necking) in northern England dial., from the noun. Neckerchief is 1382, from kerchief (q.v.). Phrase neck of the woods (Amer.Eng.) is attested from 1780 in the sense of "narrow stretch of woods;" 1839 with meaning "settlement in a wooded region." Neckline of a garment is from 1904. To stick one's neck out "take a risk" is first recorded 1926, Amer.Eng. Horses running neck and neck is attested from 1799.
necklace: c.1590, from neck (q.v.) + lace in the sense of "cord, string."
necktie: 1838, from neck (n.) + tie (n.). Amer.Eng. slang necktie party "a lynching" is recorded from 1871.
necro-: from Gk. nekros "dead body," from PIE *nek- "death, natural death" (cf. Skt. nasyati "disappears, perishes," Avestan nasyeiti "disappears," nasu- "corpse," O.Pers. vi-nathayatiy "he injures;" L. nex, gen. necis "violent death, murder" (as opposed to mors), nocere "to harm, hurt," noxius "harmful;" Gk. nekus "dead" (adj.), nekros "dead body, corpse;" O.Ir. ec, Bret. ankou, Welsh angeu "death").
necromancy: c.1300, "divination by communication with the dead," from O.Fr. nygromancie, from M.L. nigromantia (1212), from L. necromantia "divination from an exhumed corpse," from Gk. nekromanteia, from nekros "dead body" (see necro-) + manteia "divination, oracle," from manteuesthai "to prophesy," from mantis "prophet" (see mania). Spelling infl. in M.L. by niger "black," on notion of "black arts." Modern spelling is c.1550 from attempts to correct M.E. nygromauncy.
necrophilia: 1892, in Chaddock's translation of Krafft-Ebbing's "Psychopathia Sexualis," from necro- + philia.
necropolis: "large cemetery" of an ancient or modern city, 1819, from L.L., lit. "city of the dead," From Gk. necro- (see necro-) + polis "city" (see policy (1)).
necrosis: "death of bodily tissue," 1665, from Gk. nekrosis "a becoming dead, state of death," from nekroun "make dead," from nekros "dead body" (see necro-).
nectar: 1555, from L. nectar "drink of the gods," from Gk. nektar, which is said to be a compound of nek- "death" (see necro-) + -tar "overcoming." Meaning "sweet liquid in flowers" first recorded 1609.
nectarine: type of peach with smooth skin, 1616, noun use of adj. meaning "of or like nectar" (1611). Probably inspired by Ger. nektarpfirsich "nectar-peach."
nee: introducing the maiden name of a married woman, 1758, from Fr. née, fem. pp. of naître "born," from L. natus, pp. of nasci "to be born" (Old L. gnasci; see genus).
need (n.): O.E. nied (W.Saxon), ned (Mercian) "necessity, compulsion, duty," originally "violence, force," from P.Gmc. *nauthis (cf. O.N. nauðr, O.Fris. ned, M.Du. nood, Ger. Not, Goth. nauþs "need"), probably cognate with O.Pruss. nautin "need," and perhaps with O.C.S. nazda, Rus. nuzda, Pol. nedza "misery, distress," from PIE *nau- "death, to be exhausted." The more common O.E. word for "need, necessity, want" was ðearf, but they were connected via a notion of "trouble, pain," and the two formed a compound, niedðearf "need, necessity, compulsion, thing needed." Nied also may have been infl. by O.E. neod "desire, longing," which was often spelled the same. Common in O.E. compounds, e.g. niedfaru "compulsory journey," a euphemism for "death;" niedhæmed "rape," the second element being an O.E. word meaning "sexual intercourse;" niedling "slave." Meaning "extreme poverty, destitution" is from c.1200. The verb is O.E. neodian "be necessary," from the noun. Phrase the needful "money" is attested from 1774. The adj. phrase need-to-know is attested from 1954.
needle: O.E. naeðlæ, nedlæ, from P.Gmc. *næthlo (cf. O.S. nathla, O.N. nal, O.Fris. nedle, O.H.G. nadala, Ger. Nadel, Goth. neþla), lit. "a tool for sewing," from PIE *net-la-, from base *(s)ne- "to sew, to spin" (cf. Skt. snayati "wraps up," Gk. nein "to spin," L. nere "to spin," O.C.S. niti "thread," O.Ir. snathat "needle," Welsh nyddu "to sew," nodwydd "needle") + instrumental suffix *-tla.
"To seke out one lyne in all hys bookes wer to go looke a nedle in a meadow." [Thomas More, c.1530]
Meaning "piece of magnetized steel in a compass" is from late 14c.; the surgical instrument so called from 1727; sense of "leaf of a fir or pine tree" first attested 1798. Needlework first attested late 14c. Needlepoint "point lace made with the needle" is from 1865. The verb sense of "goad, provoke" is first attested 1881, probably from meaning "haggle in making a bargain" (1812).
needs: in archaic constructions involving must (late 14c.) is from O.E. nede, instr. and gen. sing. of nied (see need), used as an adverb reinforcing must, hence the genitive ending.
needy: c.1175, neodi "poor, indigent," from need (n.) (q.v.) + adj. suffix -y.
nefarious: 1604, from L. nefarius "wicked, abominable," from nefas "crime, wrong, impiety," from ne- "not" (see un-) + fas "right, lawful, divinely spoken," related to fari "to speak" (see fame).
negation: 1530, from M.Fr. negation, from L. negationem (nom. negatio) "denial," from negatus, pp. of negare "deny, say no" (see deny). The verb negate (1623) is a back-formation.
negative (adj.): c.1400, from O.Fr. negatif (fem. negative), 13c., from L. negativus, from negare (see deny). The electricity sense is from 1799. The noun is c.1380 in the sense "a prohibition;" in the photographic sense first recorded 1853. Negativism is 1824 as "the policy of opposition;" in a psychological sense, it is attested from 1892.
"Negative Capability, that is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts without any irritable reaching after fact and reason." [John Keats, letter, Dec. 21, 1817]
negatory (adj.): "expressing negation," 1580, from M.Fr. negatoire, from M.L. negatorius "negative," from L. negatus (see negation). In the sense "no" it is U.S. Air Force slang from the early 1950s.
negentropy: 1950, compounded from neg(ative) entropy.
neglect (v.): 1529, from L. neglectus, pp. of neglegere "to make light of, disregard," lit. "not to pick up," variant of neclegere, from Old L. nec "not" (see deny) + legere "pick up, select" (see lecture). The noun is first attested 1588.
negligee: 1756, "a kind of loose gown worn by women," from Fr. négligée, from fem. pp. of négliger "to neglect," from L. neglegere (see neglect). So called in comparison to the elaborate costume of a fully dressed woman of the period. Borrowed again, 1835; the modern sense "semi-transparent, flimsy, lacy dressing gown" is yet another revival, first recorded 1930.
negligence: mid-14c., from L. neclegentia, neglegentia "carelessness, heedlessness," from neglegentem (nom. neglegens), prp. of neglegere "to neglect" (see neglect).
negligent: late 14c.; see negligence.
negligible: "capable of being neglected," 1829, coined in Eng. from negligence (q.v.).
negotiate (v.): "to communicate in search of mutual agreement," 1599, back-formation from negotiation (q.v.). In the sense of "tackle successfully" (1862), it at first meant "to clear on horseback a hedge, fence, or other obstacle" and "originated in the hunting-field; those who hunt the fox like also to hunt jocular verbal novelties." [Gowers, 1965]
negotiation: 1579, from L. negotiationem (nom. negotiatio) "business, traffic," from negotiatus, pp. of negotiari "carry on business," from negotium "business," lit. "lack of leisure," from neg- "not" (see deny) + otium "ease, leisure." The shift from "doing business" to "bargaining" about anything took place in Latin.
Negro: "member of a black-skinned race of Africa," 1555, from Sp. or Port. negro "black," from L. nigrum (nom. niger) "black," of unknown origin. Use with a capital N- became general early 20c. (e.g. 1930 in "New York Times" stylebook) in ref. to U.S. citizens of African descent, but because of its perceived association with white-imposed attitudes and roles the word was ousted late 1960s in this sense by Black (q.v.).
"Professor Booker T. Washington, being politely interrogated ... as to whether negroes ought to be called 'negroes' or 'members of the colored race' has replied that it has long been his own practice to write and speak of members of his race as negroes, and when using the term 'negro' as a race designation to employ the capital 'N' " ["Harper's Weekly," June 2, 1906]
Negress (1786) is from Fr. négresse, fem. of nègre "negro." Negroid is attested from 1859, a hybrid, with Gk. suffix -oeides "like, resembling."
Negus: title of the ruler of Abyssinia, 1594, from Amharic negush "king," from stem of nagasha "he forced, ruled."
Nehemiah: masc. proper name, Jewish leader under Pers. king Artaxerxes, from Heb. Nehemyah, lit. "the Lord comforts."
Nehru: in ref. to a type of long, narrow jacket with a standing collar (popular in Western fashion, late 1960s), 1967, in ref. to Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), first prime minister of independent India (1947-1969), who often wore such a jacket in public appearances.
neigh: O.E. hnægan, probably of imitative origin (cf. O.N. gneggja, M.H.G. negen, Fr. hennir, Jap. inanaki).