Etymology

négligée

Today it means: Carelessly or unceremoniously dressed. Full definition →

First used 18th–19th c.French négligé ← Latin negligere ← Proto-Italic *legō
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*nékʷe
  3. Proto-Italic*nekʷe
  4. Latinneque
  5. Latinnec
  6. Proto-Indo-European*leǵ-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*léǵeti
  8. Proto-Italic*legō
  9. Latinlego
  10. Latinnegligere
  11. Frenchnégliger
  12. Frenchnégligé
  13. English todaynégligée

From French négligée f (past participle, adjective), from French négligé m (“underdressed; loose garment”, past participle, adjective, noun), past participle of négliger (“to neglect”), from Latin negligere.

First known use, by meaning

  • 18th–19th c. A woman's lightweight gown of the eighteenth century.
  • from 19th c. A necklace of beads, pearls etc.
  • from 19th c. A state of careless undress or very informal attire.
  • from 19th c. A woman's loose-fitting nightgown, especially when short, lacy or revealing; a nightie.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.