#Nag definition pro#

Oxford cites the University of Michigan’s online Middle English Dictionary for the “neigh” origin, but adds that it “presents phonological difficulties.” The MED apparently agrees, since it introduces the etymology with a question mark.Īnother possible source for the equine “nag” is negge, a word for a small horse in early modern Dutch (spoken about 1500-1800). The usage is of uncertain origin, but it perhaps came from neighen, a Middle English verb meaning to neigh ( hnǣgan in Old English), according to the dictionary. The OED says “nag” originally meant “a small riding-horse or pony,” but now usually refers to “an old or feeble” horse. Published in Household Accounts from Medieval England (1992), by C.

#Nag definition pro#

The earliest example in the Oxford English Dictionary for the older term is from a household account in England for 1336-37: “Item in i ferro anteriore pro le nagg” (“Item: 1 front shoe for the nag”). Q: Is the “nag” who’s constantly scolding people related to the “nag” that’s a tired old horse?Ī: No, the noun for someone who complains or criticizes isn’t related to the much earlier equine term, which referred to a small riding horse, not one on its last legs, when it showed up in Middle English in the 14th century.