Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “neat” come from?

Neat comes from Old English nēat, from Latin nitidus meaning "shining" or "bright," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European newd-.

neat (English): Clean, tidy; free from dirt or impurities; Free...

Definitions

  1. Clean, tidy; free from dirt or impurities; Free...

Ancestry of “neat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishnete—
2Anglo-Normanneitgood, desireable, clean
3Old Frenchnetneat, decent
4Vulgar Latinnittus—
5Latinnitidusshining, polished, glittering; handsome,...
6Latinniteresecond-person singular future active indicative...
7LatinniteoI am radiant, shine, look bright, glitter,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanney-to shine; to be aroused, shine; to be excited
9Cebuano-hi—

Words derived from “neat”

  • neatly
  • neatness
  • neaten
  • neatsfoot
  • neatherd
  • neatnik
  • neato
  • overneat
  • neatresse
  • neatherdess
  • neathouse
  • neat-handed
  • neat-handedness
  • neat-handedly
  • neatwork
  • neatify
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