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Etymology
Dictionary
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Origin and Etymology of the word
NAG.
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From An Etymology
Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat, 1893 |
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NAG (1),
a small horse. (O. Low G.) In Minsheu, ed. 1627.
M. E. nagge. 'Nagge, or lytylle beest, bestula,
equillus;' Prompt. Parv. 'He neyt [neighed] as a nagge;'
Destruction of Troy, ed. Panton and Donaldson, l. 7727.—O. Du. negghe,
a small horse (Kilian); negge, 'a nagg, a small horse;' Hexham.
From the base neg of O. Du. neyen (for older negen), to
neigh (Hexham, Oudemans). And compare prov. G. nickel, a nag,
with North E. nicker, to neigh. The sense is 'neigher.'
See Neigh. Der. hack-ney,
q.v. NAG (2),
to worry, tease. (Scand.) Provincial; but a good word.—Swed.
nagga, to nibble, peck; Dan. nage, Icel. naga, to
gnaw. A doublet of Gnaw,
q.v.
ADDENDA Owing
to the derivation from Du. negge, we actually find the spelling neg,
in North's Life of Lord Guildford, ed. 1808, i. 272 (Davies).
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| Etymology
Dictionary Index |
| A, B,
C, D, E,
F, G, H,
I, J, K,
L, M, N,
O, P, Q,
R, S, T,
U, V, W,
X, Y, Z
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| Key |
| Arab.=Arabic. |
| A.S.=Anglo
Saxon. |
| Bavar.=Bavarian |
| Bohem.=Bohemian. |
| C.=Celtic,
used as a general term for Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Breton,
Cornish, &c. |
| Corn.=Cornish. |
| Dan.=Danish. |
| Du.=Dutch |
| E.=English. |
| E.E.=Early
English. |
| Europ.=European. |
| F.=French. |
| G.=German. |
| Gk.=Greek. |
| Goth.=Gothic. |
| Icel.=Icelandic. |
| Ital.=Italian. |
| L. or
Lat.=Latin. |
| Lith.
& Lithuan.=Lithuanian. |
| M.E.=Middle
English. |
| M.F.=Middle
French |
| M.H.G.=Middle
High German. |
| Norw.=Norwegian. |
| O.F.=Old
French. |
| O.H.G.=Old
High German. |
| Pers.=Persian. |
| Port.=Portuguese. |
| Scand.=Scandinavian,
used as a general term for Icelandic, Swedish, Danish,
&c. |
| Sc.=Scottish. |
| Skt.=Sanskrit. |
| Span.=Spanish. |
| Swed.=Sweish. |
| Teut.=Teutonic |
| Turk.=Turkish. |
| W.=Welsh. |
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