Etymology Dictionary

NEAT (1),  black cattle, an ox, cow.  (E.)   M.E. neet, both sing. and pl.; used as pl. in Chaucer, C. T. 599.—A.S. neát, neut. sb., unchanged in the plural (like sheep, deer, also neuters); Grein, ii. 288. + Icel. naut, neut. sb., unchanged in the plural, and gen. used to mean cattle, oxen. + M.H.G. nóz, nóss, neut. sb., cattle.   β. So named from their usefulness and employment.—A.S. neótan, niótan, to use, employ; Grein, ii. 292. + Icel. njóta, to use, enjoy. + M.H.G. niezen, O.H.G. niozan, G. geniessen, to enjoy, have the use of. + Goth. niutan, to receive joy (or benefit) from.   γ. All from Teut. base NUT (Fick, iii. 164), answering to an Aryan base NUD, whence Lithuan. naudà, usefulness, naudingas, useful (Nesselmann).   Cf. Skt. nand, to be pleased, to be pleased with, nandaya, to gladden; Gk. ὀνίνημι, I profit, help, support, ὀνήσιμος, useful, ὀν&ητός, profitable.   See Schmidt, Vocalismus, i. 157.   ¶ The etymology given in Ælfred's tr. of Boethius, c. xiv. § 3, from nitan, not to know (!), is an utter mistake.   Der. neat-herd.

NEAT (2),  tidy, unadulterated.  (F.,—L.)   'Neat and fine;' Two Gent. of Verona, i. 2. 10.   Also spelt nett; Spenser, F. Q. iii. 12. 20.—F. net, masc. nette, fem., 'neat, clean, pure;' Cot.   [Cf. beast from O.F. beste.]—Lat. nitidum, acc. of nitidus, shining, clear, handsome, neat, elegant.—Lat. nitere, to shine.   Prob. allied to Icel. gneisti, a spark; see Gneiss.   Der. neat-ly, neat-ness.   Doublet, net (2).