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net

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

net1 clean, clear

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

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)