nasty English · revision 6457

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=c. 1390}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈnɑː.sti/ ''(UK)''; /ˈnæs.ti/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English nasti, of uncertain origin.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998)^(SOED 2002) Barnhart proposes Old French [[m|fro|nastre|t=bad, spiteful]], short for villenastre, infamous, from vilein (see [[villain]]) and the pejorative -astre, perhaps reinforced by a Scandinavian word;^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) Hoad and the Middle English Compendium point to Swedish dialect naskug, nasket, dirty, through early variants naxty and naskie;^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline) the OED mentions Dutch nestig, dirty, like a bird's nest.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Disgustingly dirty, foul: about 1390 in Barnhart, before 1400 in the OED, the late 14th century in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Indecent or obscene, ''morally filthy'', is from about 1600,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and offensive to taste or smell from before 1548.^(OED 1989) Of weather, foul or stormy, it is from the 1630s,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) unpleasant or troublesome generally from 1705,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and of persons, ill-tempered or mean, from 1825.^(Etymonline) Word Origins notes that the word's force has gradually weakened, though it remains stronger in American than British English;^(Cresswell 2021) De Vere wrote in 1872 that in America it was not fit to be used before ladies.^(Etymonline) The noun, an unpleasant thing or person, is from 1935;^(Etymonline) SOED also records nasty for a Nazi in the mid-20th century.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1390 – filthy.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1548 – nauseating.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1600 – obscene.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1630s – of weather.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1705 – unpleasant generally.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1825 – ill-natured.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Very unpleasant or offensive: ''a nasty smell''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Unkind, spiteful or bad-tempered.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Dangerous or serious: ''a nasty wound''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Indecent or [[obscene]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(informal)'' An unpleasant person or thing: ''video nasties''.^(Collins 2023)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nastily]]

+ * [[nastiness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[villain]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}