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net

Etymology and origin of the French word net

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inherited borrowed derived
Latin nitidus
French net
Latin nitiditas

Besides the adjective net, from Latin nitidus, French borrowed English net “net” as a tennis term in 1891.[1][2]

net1 clean, clear

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
first half of the 12th century, Oxford Psalter
Inherited from
Latin nitidus
Ultimate origin
Latin (niteō)

Pronunciation

Forms

net (feminine nette, masculine plural nets, feminine plural nettes)[3]

Etymology

The adjective is inherited from Latin nitidus (“shining, bright; clean; elegant”), through a contracted Vulgar Latin form *nittus, according to Wiktionary.[4][5][3] Nitidus comes from niteō (“to shine”); from “shining” came the very close notion “clean”, as in Plautus's “nitidae aedes”.[4][5][6] The ⟨t⟩ is still sounded, an exception to the loss of final ⟨t⟩ after a vowel since the 11th century.[4] Cognate with Old Occitan net, Catalan net, Spanish neto and Italian netto.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Oxford Psalter (first half of the 12th century) renders immaculati in via as Beneüré li net en la veie, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way”; the moral sense, “pure, without stain”, came first.[4][7]

Semantic evolution

Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence (1174–1176) uses it for an upright person (de nette gent fu nez).[4] The physical sense, clean, is in Chrétien de Troyes's avoir les mains nettes (about 1175), figuratively in Amyot (1559); of a liquid, clear, in Wace (about 1155).[6] About 1195 Ambroise uses it for what is without ambiguity, clear-cut.[4] From the end of the 15th century (Commynes) it meant “empty, free of encumbrance”, whence faire place nette (1694).[6] In commerce it means after deductions, as opposed to gross.[3] As an adverb it is found in casser net comme une pipe in 1789.[8] The adjective has partly given way to propre.[5]

Timeline

  • First half of the 12th century – “Pure”, in the Oxford Psalter.[4]
  • c. 1155 – Of a clear liquid, in Wace.[6]
  • c. 1175 – Avoir les mains nettes, in Chrétien de Troyes.[6]
  • c. 1195 – “Clear-cut”, in Ambroise.[4]
  • Late 15th century – “Empty, cleared”, in Commynes.[6]
  • 1690 – Avoir la conscience nette.[6]
  • 1694 – Faire place nette.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Clean, spotless: avoir les mains nettes, avoir la conscience nette, to have nothing to reproach oneself with.[9][6]
  2. Cleared, free of what encumbers: faire place nette.[9][6]
  3. Clear, distinct, sharp, en avoir le cœur net, to get to the bottom of it.[10][3]
  4. (commerce) net, after deductions, as opposed to gross.[3][10]

Adverb

  1. Abruptly, clean: casser net.[10][8]

Noun

  1. Au net: in a clean, final form: un manuscrit recopié au net.[11]

Word family

net2 tennis

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1891
Borrowed from
English net
Ultimate origin
English (net)

Pronunciation

Forms

net (feminine nette, masculine plural nets, feminine plural nettes)[3]

Etymology

The tennis term is borrowed from English net (“net; tennis net”), a word with many Germanic counterparts, perhaps from an Indo-European root also behind Latin nassa (“fish trap”).[2][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is recorded in 1891 in tennis.[2][1]

Semantic evolution

French speakers confused it with English let, a serve to be played again because the ball touched the net; the term is dated and is often replaced by let or by the French à remettre.[2][11]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (tennis, table tennis, volleyball; dated) A let: a serve that touches the top of the net, net ![10][11]

Usage notes

Le Net, the Internet, borrowed in 1995 from English net “network”, is written with a capital; the French equivalent is la Toile.[1][10]

References

  1. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  2. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Net.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/net. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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