Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·French ·1650s
Naïve
from naïve
- Meaning
- Showing a lack of experience or wisdom.
- Source word
- naïve
- Route into English
- French *naïve* (natural, unaffected; feminine of *naïf*, from Latin *nativus*) → English via 17th-century borrowing. The diaeresis on the i is sometimes kept in English to prevent a one-syllable reading.
- Arrived
- 1650s
From French
Beyond the Norman conquest's Old French foundation, English kept borrowing from French for art, cuisine, fashion, and diplomacy throughout the modern period.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.