1
Stage 1 of 3
nuer
French · medieval
"to shade, to cloud"
meaning "to shade" or "to make cloudy", related to "nue" (cloud)
2
Stage 2 of 3
nuance
French · 1700s
"a subtle shade of difference"
came to mean a subtle shade of difference
3
Stage 3 of 3
nuance
English · 1700s-1800s
"a subtle distinction or variation"
adopted directly from French
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