Etymograph

English

net

Net comes from Old English net, nett, from Proto-Germanic *natją ‘net’, of uncertain origin.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*natją1‘net’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*nati1‘net’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150net1
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500net1
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1611net1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English net
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*natjąWiktionary, English net‘net’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*natiWiktionary, English net‘net’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150netWiktionary, English net
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500netWiktionary, English net
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1611netWiktionary, English net. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net…”

Word family

English words that share an ancestor with net, grouped by the ancestor they share, most familiar first.

through Middle English net ‘worthy, good, pure, fine, elegant’

Explore everything descended from *natją →

Another origin of net

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ney-‘to shine’uncertain
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nitos‘made bright’uncertain
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEniteō‘to shine’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnitidus‘shining, polished, glittering’
  5. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*nittusreconstructed
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400net‘clean’
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400neit
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500net‘worthy, good, pure, fine, elegant’
  9. Englishtodaynet

Another origin of net

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ney-‘to shine’uncertain
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nitos‘made bright’uncertain
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEniteō‘to shine’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnitidus‘shining, polished’
  5. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*nitidiāre‘make clear’reconstructed
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400noiier‘to clean’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400net‘clean (adj.)’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400netoiieras nettoier‘to clean’
  9. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600nettoyer‘to cleanse’
  10. Englishtodaynet

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Today it means

noun A mesh of string, cord or rope.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “net”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *natją / net