Online Etymology Dictionary

node: 1572, "a knot or complication," from L. nodus "knot." Originally borrowed c.1400 in L. form, meaning "lump in the flesh." Meaning "point of intersection" (originally of planetary orbits with the ecliptic) first recorded 1665.
nodule: 1600, from L. nodulus "small knot," dim. of nodus "knot."
Noel: late 14c., from M.E. nowel, from O.Fr. noel "the Christmas season," variant of nael, from L. natalis (dies) "birth (day)," in Eccles. L. in reference to the birthday of Christ, from natus, pp. of nasci "be born" (Old L. gnasci; see genus).
noggin: 1630, "small cup, mug," later "small drink" (1693), of unknown origin, possibly related to Norfolk dial. nog "strong ale" (now chiefly in eggnog). Informal meaning "head" first attested 1866 in Amer.Eng.
Noh: traditional Japanese masked drama, 1871, from Japanese, lit. "ability, talent, function." Dramatic form also known as nogaku, with gaku "music."
nohow: "not at all," 1775, Amer.Eng., from no + how, on model of nowhere.
noise: early 13c., "loud outcry, clamor, shouting," from O.Fr. noise "uproar, brawl" (in modern Fr. only in phrase chercher noise "to pick a quarrel"), apparently from L. nausea "disgust, annoyance, discomfort," lit. "seasickness" (see nausea). Another theory traces the O.Fr. word to L. noxia "hurting, injury, damage." OED considers that "the sense of the word is against both suggestions," but nausea could have developed a sense in V.L. of "unpleasant situation, noise, quarrel" (cf. O.Prov. nauza "noise, quarrel"). Replaced native gedyn (see din).
noisome: 1382, "harmful, noxious," from noye "harm, misfortune," shortened form of anoi "annoyance" (from O.Fr. anoier, see annoy) + -some. Meaning "bad-smelling" first recorded 1577.
nole contendere: 1872, from L., lit. "I do not wish to contend."
noli me tangere: late 14c., "type of facial ulcer, lupus," from L., lit. "touch me not," from noli, imperative of nolle "to be unwilling" + me (see me) + tangere "to touch" (see tangent). Used over the years of various persons or things that must not be touched, esp. "picture of Jesus as he appeared to Mary Magdalene" (1670s) and "plant of the genus Impatiens" (1560s, so called because the ripe seed pods burst when touched).
nolle prosequi: formal notice to a plaintiff that the prosecutor will not continue a suit, 1681, from L., lit. "to be unwilling to pursue." The verb nolle-pross is attested from 1880.
nom: Fr., "name," from L. nomen (see name). Used in various phrases, e.g. nom de guerre (1679), name used by a person engaged in some action, lit. "war name;" nom de plume (1823), lit. "pen name;" nom de théâtre (1874) "stage name."
nomad: 1555, from M.Fr. nomade, from L. Nomas (gen. Nomadis) "wandering groups in Arabia," from Gk. nomas (gen. nomados, pl. nomades) "roaming, roving, wandering" (to find pastures for flocks or herds), related to nomos "pasture," lit. "land allotted," and to nemein "put to pasture," originally "deal out," from PIE base *nem- "to divide, distribute, allot" (see nemesis).
nomenclature: 1610, "a name," from Fr. nomenclature, from L. nomenclatura "calling of names," from nomenclator "namer," from nomen "name" + calator "caller, crier," from calare "call out" (see calendar). Nomenclator in Rome was the title of a steward whose job was to announce visitors, and also of a prompter who helped a stumping politician recall names and pet causes of his constituents. Meaning "list or catalogue of names" first attested 1635; that of "system of naming" is from 1664; sense of "terminology of a science" is from 1789.
nominal: c.1430, "pertaining to nouns," from L. nominalis "pertaining to a name or names," from nomen (gen. nominis) "name," cognate with O.E. nama (see name). Meaning "of the nature of names" (in distinction to things) is from 1620. Meaning "being so in name only" first recorded 1624.
nomination: c.1412, "act of mentioning by name," from L. nominationem (nom. nominatio), from nominare "to name," from nomen (gen. nominis) "name" (see name). Meaning "fact of being proposed as a candidate" is attested from 1494. Nominate is a back-formation, attested from 1545 in the sense "to call by name," from 1601 with the meaning "to propose for election." Nominee is first attested 1664.
nominative: late 14c., "grammatical case dealing with the subject of a verb," from M.Fr. nominatif, from L. nominativus "pertaining to naming," from nominatus, pp. of nominare (see nominate).
non compos mentis: 1607, from L., lit. "not master of one's mind."
non sequitur: 1533, from L., lit. "it does not follow."
non-: prefix meaning "not, lack of," or "sham," 14c., from Anglo-Fr. noun-, from O.Fr. non-, from L. non "not, not a," from Old L. noenum "not one" (*ne oinom). In some cases perhaps from M.E. non "not" (adj.), from O.E. nan (see not).
non-aggression: 1903, "absence of warlike intentions among nations," from non- + aggression.
non-aligned: 1960 in geopolitical sense. Non-alignment in this sense is attested from 1934.
non-com: 1747, short for non-commissioned officer.
non-combatant: 1811, from non- + combatant. First recorded in writings of Wellington.
non-committal (adj.): 1829, "characterized by refusal to commit oneself," from non- + committal.
non-compliance: 1687, from non- + compliance.
non-essential (adj.): 1751, from non- + essential. Attested as a noun from 1806.
non-event: "unimportant or disappointing event," 1962, from non- + event.
non-fiction: 1903 (implied in non-fictional), from non- + fiction.
non-partisan: 1885, from non- + partisan.
non-proliferation: 1965, from non- + proliferation; originally in ref. to nuclear weapons.
non-smoker: "person who does not smoke," 1846, in ref. to railways. Non-smoking (adj.) is attested from 1891.
non-standard: c.1933, a linguist's value-neutral term, in ref. to language formerly stigmatized as "bad" or "vulgar."
non-stop: 1903, from non- + stop (v.), originally of railway trains.
non-violent: 1920, in ref. to "principle or practice of abstaining from violence," first in writings of M.K. Gandhi, from non- + violent (see violence).
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence." [Gandhi, "Non-violence in Peace and War," 1948]
nonage: 1399, "state of not being of age," from O.Fr. nonage, from non- + age.
nonagenarian: 1804, coined in Eng. from L. nonagenarius "containing ninety" (in L.L. "someone ninety years old"), from nonagen "ninety each," from nonus "ninth" (see nones).
nonce: abstracted from phrase for þe naness (c.1200) "for a special occasion, for a particular purpose," itself a misdivision of for þan anes "for the one," in reference to a particular occasion or purpose, the þan being from O.E. dative def. article þam. The phrase used from early 14c. as an empty filler in metrical composition. Hence, nonce-word "word coined for a special occasion," 1954.
nonchalance: 1670s, from Fr. nonchalant, prp. of nonchaloir "be indifferent to, have no concern for" (13c.), from non- "not" + chaloir "have concern for," ultimately from L. calere "be hot" (see calorie). French chaland "customer, client" is of the same origin.
nonchalant: 1734, from Fr. nonchalant (see nonchalance). Related: Nonchalantly.
nonconformity: 1618, coined in Eng., originally of Church of England clergymen who refused to conform on certain ceremonies. Nonconformist is from 1619, in the religious sense; after their ejection under the Act of Uniformity (1662) the name passed to the separate churches they joined or formed. General sense of "one who does not participate in a practice or course of action" is from 1677.
nondescript: 1683, "not hitherto described," in scientific usage, coined from non- + L. descriptus, pp. of describere (see describe). Sense of "not easily described or classified" is from 1806.
none: O.E. nan "not one, not any," from ne "not" (see no) + an "one." Cognate with O.S., M.L.G. nen, O.N. neinn, M.Du., Du. neen, O.H.G., Ger. nein "no," and analogous to L. non- (see non-). As an adj., since c.1600 reduced to no except in a few archaic phrases, especially before vowels, such as none other, none the worse.
nonentity: c.1600, "something which does not exist," from non- + entity. Meaning "a person or thing of no importance" is attested from 1710.
nones: c.1420, in ref. to the Roman calendar, "ninth day (by inclusive reckoning) before the ides of each month" (7th of March, May, July, October, 5th of other months), from L. nonæ (acc. nonas), fem. pl. of nonus "ninth." Ecclesiastical sense of "daily office said originally at the ninth hour of the day" is from 1709; originally fixed at ninth hour from sunrise, hence about 3 p.m. (now usually somewhat earlier), from L. nona (hora) "ninth (hour)," from fem. pl. of nonus "ninth," contracted from *novenos, from novem "nine" (see nine). Also used in a sense of "midday" (see noon).
nonetheless: 1847, as phrase none the less; contracted into one word from c.1930.
nonpareil: 1477 (adj.), "having no equal," from M.Fr. nonpareil "unequalled," from non- "not" + pareil "equal." The noun meaning "an unequaled person or thing" is from 1593; first applied to a kind of candy 1697. As the name of a printing type (6 point size) it is attested from 1647.
nonplus: 1580s (n.), properly "state where 'nothing more' can be done or said," from L. non plus "no more, no further." The verb meaning "to bring to a nonplus, to perplex" is attested from 1590s.
nonplussed: c.1600, pp. adj. from nonplus.
nonsense: 1614, from non- + sense.