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Today it means

nag

to persistently annoy someone with complaints, criticism, or demands

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Where does the word "nag" come from? It comes from Scandinavian nagga, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

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Where does the word "nag" come from? It comes from Scandinavian nagga, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Nag’s story begins in Scandinavian: nagga meant “to gnaw, to complain.” Related to Low German 'naggen', to irritate. It reached English by 1800s as nag. Settled as the English word for persistent complaining or criticizing. Today, nag means to persistently annoy someone with complaints, criticism, or demands.

  1. Stage 1 · Scandinavian · medieval nagga "to gnaw, to complain", related to Low German 'naggen', to irritate.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s nag "to complain or criticize persistently", settled as the English word for persistent complaining or criticizing.

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