The story
From nymph + -et (“diminutive”), first attested 1612. The second sense was popularized by Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel Lolita.
First known use, by meaning
- 17th–19th c. A small nymph.
- from 20th c. A sexually attractive girl or young woman.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.