"N" Word Origins

neutral

Latin

From Middle French neutral, from Latin neutralis, itself built from neuter plus -alis.

neutralise

Origin

From French neutraliser (first attested in 1642). By surface analysis, neutral + -ise.

neutrality

Medieval Latin

From Middle French neutralité, from Medieval Latin neutralitas, formed from neutral plus -ity.

neutralize

French · 1642

From French neutraliser, first recorded in 1642, built from neutral plus -ize.

neutrino

Italian · 1933

Coined in 1933 by Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, combining "neutron" with the Italian diminutive ending -ino, meaning roughly "little neutral one."

neutron

Origin · 1899

From neutral plus the particle-naming suffix -on. Coined in 1899, though the modern meaning was firmly established by Ernest Rutherford in 1920.

Nevada

Spanish

From Spanish "nevada," meaning "snow-covered," referring to the Sierra Nevada mountains.

neve

Old English

From Old English nefa ("nephew, grandson"), the same root that eventually gave English "nephew" — "neve" simply fell out of everyday use as "nephew" took over.

neveling

Origin

From Middle English nevelinge, nevelyng, neuelinge (“flat down”, adverb), equivalent to nuel + -ling. More at nuel.

never

Old English

From Old English nǣfre, formed from ne ("not") plus ǣfre ("ever").

never-ending

Origin

From never + ending.

neverland

Origin

From never plus land, famously used by J.M. Barrie as the name of the magical island in Peter Pan.

nevermind

Origin

From the phrase "never mind," combining never with mind.

nevermore

Old English

From Middle English nevermore, from Old English nǣfre mā, literally "never more" — made famous by the raven's refrain in Edgar Allan Poe's poem.

Nevers

French

From French Nevers.

nevertheless

Middle English

From Middle English nevertheles, built from never plus the plus less; compare the phrase "never the wiser."

nevus

Origin

Borrowed from Latin naevus.

new

Latin

From Old English nēowe/nīwe, from Proto-Germanic *niwjaz, from a very old Indo-European root meaning "new" — related to Latin novus and Greek neos.

newall

Origin

Two main origins: * A variant of Neville or Noel. * Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Tnúthghail (“descendant of Tnúthgal”), a personal name composed by the elements tnúth (“desire; envy”) + gal (“valor”).

Newark

Old English

From Old English, meaning "new work" or "new fortification."

newb

Origin

Shortened from newbie.

Newberry

Old English

From Old English nīewe (“new”) + byriġ, the dative case of burg (“stronghold”).

newbie

Origin

Origin uncertain — possibly an alteration of "newie" with an inserted b (as in "freebie"), a blend of "newborn" and "baby," or a shortening of "new boy."

newborn

Origin

From new plus born.

Newcastle

Origin · 1000

From "new castle," referring to a Norman castle built there in the 11th century.

newcomer

Old English

From Middle English newe-comere, built from new plus comer; compare Old English nīwcumen, meaning "newcomer" or "novice."

newel

Origin

Inherited from Middle English nowel, *newel, from Old French noel, from either Early Medieval Latin nōdellus (“buckle”, diminutive of nōdus "knot") or Late Latin nucālis (“nut-like”, derivative of nux "nut"). Doublet of noil and noyau.

Newell

Irish

Two main origins: * A variant of Neville or Noel. * Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Tnúthghail (“descendant of Tnúthgal”), a personal name composed by the elements tnúth (“desire; envy”) + gal (“valor”).

newfag

Origin

From new + -fag.

newfangle

Origin

From Middle English newefangil, neufangel, newefongel, equivalent to new + fangle.

newfangled

Origin

From new plus the obsolete word fangled, from fangle ("to fashion" or "invent").

newfound

Middle English

From Middle English newe founde, simply "new" plus "found."

Newfoundland

Origin

Named after Newfoundland, the Canadian island where the breed was developed to help fishermen haul nets and rescue people from the water.

newfriend

Origin

From new + friend, as a euphemism for newfag.

Newgate

Middle English

From Middle English Newgate; equivalent to new + gate.

Newhouse

German

* From new + house. * Calque of German Neuhaus. Derived from Neuhaus (cf. Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr.), anglicization of German Neuhaus. From neu+Haus. Cognate with, Catalan Casanova, French Maisonneuve, German Neuhaus, Italian Casanova, Occitan Casanova.

newling

Origin

From new + -ling. Cognate with Dutch nieuweling (“a novice, beginner”), German Neuling (“a novice”).

newly

Old English

From Old English nīewlīċe, built from "new" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

newlywed

Origin

A compound of "newly" and "wed" (married).

Newman

Origin

From new + man: a "newcomer".

newmarket

Origin

The cloak and card game are named after the English town.

newness

Origin

From Middle English newnesse, from Old English nīewnes (“newness, novelty”), equivalent to new + -ness.

Newport

Origin

From new + port.

news

Middle English

From Middle English newes, literally "new things" — formed by adding a plural-style ending to "new," though it functions as a singular noun today.

newsbreak

Origin

From news + break.

newscast

Origin

A blend of "news" and "broadcast."

newscaster

Origin

From "newscast" plus the agent suffix "-er."

newsflash

Origin

From "news" plus "flash," in the sense of a sudden brief burst.