Etymology

newt

N1E1W4T1

Today it means: A small lizard-like amphibian in the subfamily Pleurodelinae that lives in the water as an adult. Full definition →

Middle English newte ← Old English efete
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The story

  1. Old English · inherited fromefete“lizard; newt”
  2. Middle English · derived fromevete
  3. Middle English · derived froman ewte
  4. Middle English · inherited fromnewte
  5. English todaynewt

From Middle English newte, newete, from rebracketing of Middle English an ewte as a newte (for similar misdivisions compare adder, nickname, apron, umpire, etc.). Middle English evete, eute, euete, ewte (“newt”), derives from Old English efete (“lizard; newt”). Doublet of eft.

Words from the same roots

Middle Englishevete all →

eft

Old Englishefete all →

eft

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.