nazi

nazi · adjective, noun¹

See Nazi.

Nazi · noun, adjective, proper noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-
2. Proto-Indo-European*ǵénh₁tis
3. Proto-Italic*gnātiō
4. Latinnātiō
5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
7. New Latinnātionālis
8. Germannational
9. Proto-Indo-European*sekʷ-
10. Proto-Indo-European*sokʷéh₂
11. Proto-Indo-European*sokʷh₂ṓy
12. Proto-Indo-European*sokʷyós
13. Proto-Italic*sokjos
14. Latinsokios
15. Latinsocius
16. Latinsociālis
17. Frenchsocia
18. Germansozial
19. GermanSozialist
20. GermanNationalsozialist
21. GermanSoziinflu.
22. GermanNazi
23. English todayNazi

1930, from German Nazi, a clipping of Nationalsozialist (“National Socialist”) (1924), earlier attestation (1903) as shortening of national-sozial), since in German the nati- in national /ˌnatsi̯oˈnaːl/ is approximately pronounced Nazi [ˈnäːtsi]; compare the parallel pejorative terms Sozi (“socialist, social democrat”), Kozi (“commie, commo, communist”). A homonymic term Nazi was in use before the rise of the NSDAP in Bavaria as a pet name for Ignaz and (by extension from that) a derogatory word for a backwards peasant, which may have influenced the use of that abbreviation by the Nazis' opponents and its avoidance by the Nazis themselves.

First known use, by meaning

• 1930 A member of the Nazi Party (the National Socialist German Workers' Party or NSDAP).
• 1960s One who imposes their views on others; one who is unfairly oppressive or needlessly strict. (also frequently uncapitalised: nazi)