neat English · revision 10637

+ Neat, tidy, is from French net, from Latin nitidus, shining; neat, cattle, is inherited from Old English nēat.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /niːt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|tidy}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1542|origins=xno neit|origins=fro net|origins=la nitidus}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is borrowed from Anglo-French neit, [[bor|fro|net|t=clear, pure]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from Latin [[m|la|nitidus|t=gleaming, elegant, trim]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from nitēre, to shine,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) cognate with Middle Irish nīam, radiance, and Old Persian naiba-, beautiful.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) [[net]], left after deductions, was originally a variant of neat.^(Cresswell 2021)^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Clean, free of impurities: 1542, in Udall.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Trim or smart in dress is from 1546, well-proportioned from 1549, and tidy from 1577, the 1570s in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) Of wine, unadulterated, is from the 1570s, and of liquor, undiluted, from about 1800.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) Clever and deft (''a neat trick'') belongs to the same family of approving senses.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023) Etymonline notes that from the 17th century neat often seems a vague word of approval;^(Etymonline) the informal sense excellent is first recorded in 1934 in American English according to Barnhart and Etymonline,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) but Word Origins dates the American slang use to the early 19th century.^(Cresswell 2021) ''Neato'' is teenage slang by 1968.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1542 – clean, pure.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1546 – trim, smart.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1577 – tidy.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1800 – of liquor, undiluted.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1934 – excellent (US slang).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Clean, [[tidy]] and orderly.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Liking order and cleanliness.^(Collins 2023)

+ # Skilfully or cleverly done: ''a neat solution''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of alcoholic drink, without water or a mixer; [[undiluted]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(informal, chiefly US)'' Very good; [[excellent]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[neatly]]

+ * [[neatness]]

+ * [[neaten]]

+ * [[neato]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|cattle}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 825|origins=ang nēat}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|ang|nēat|t=ox, beast, animal]] (before 830),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from [[m|gem-pro|*nautą]], a thing of value, possession,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) cognate with Old Saxon nōt, Old High German nōz and Old Norse naut,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) and related to Old English nēotan and German geniessen, to use, enjoy,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) and Lithuanian naudà, use, profit.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ An animal of the ox kind, and collectively cattle: about 825.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word is now archaic or dialectal,^(Hoad 1986) surviving mainly in ''neat's-foot oil'' (1579).^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 825 – an ox; cattle.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1579 – neat's-foot oil.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(archaic)'' An animal of the ox kind; [[cattle]] collectively.^(AHD)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[net]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}