Where does “nicety” come from?
Nicety comes from Middle English nicetee, from Old French niceté, derived from Old French nice meaning ignorant or foolish, ultimately from Latin nescius meaning not knowing, composed of the Latin prefix ne- and Proto-Indo-European ne-.
nicety (English): A small detail or distinction; Subtlety or...
Definitions
- A small detail or distinction; Subtlety or...
Ancestry of “nicety”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nicetee | — |
| 2 | Old French | niceté | simpleness, foolishness |
| 3 | Old French | nice | simple, foolish |
| 4 | Latin | nescius | unaware, ignorant; not knowing how, unable |
| 5 | Latin | nesciō | to not know, to be ignorant, to not understand |
| 6 | Latin | sciō | to be able to, to know, understand, to have practical knowledge |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱēy- | to shine; to shimmer; shadow; luster, gloss,... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | skaidą | separation, distinction |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | skÁit- | to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,... |