Etymology Map
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Naughty

3 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means badly behaved, especially of a child; mildly indecent

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
naught
Old English · medieval
"nothing"
nā 'no' + wiht 'thing': nothing
2
Stage 2 of 3
naughty
Middle English · 1300s
"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 of 3
naughty
English · 1630s
"badly behaved"
weakened to 'disobedient' of children, and later to 'mildly indecent'
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Read the full story

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.