naughty

Where does the word "naughty" come from? It comes from Old English naught, passing through Middle English before entering English (1630s).

Naughty’s story begins in Old English: naught meant “nothing.” Nā 'no' + wiht 'thing': nothing. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as naughty. First 'having nothing, needy', then 'worthless, wicked'; Portia says 'so shines a good deed in a naughty world' in The Merchant of Venice (c. 1597). It reached English by 1630s as naughty. Weakened to 'disobedient' of children, and later to 'mildly indecent'. Today, naughty means badly behaved, especially of a child; mildly indecent.

1. Stage 1 · Old English · medieval naught "nothing", nā 'no' + wiht 'thing': nothing.
2. Stage 2 · Middle English · 1300s naughty "needy; wicked", first 'having nothing, needy', then 'worthless, wicked'; Portia says 'so shines a good deed in a naughty world' in The Merchant of Venice (c. 1597).
3. Stage 3 · English · 1630s naughty "badly behaved", weakened to 'disobedient' of children, and later to 'mildly indecent'.