English word origin

Etymology of Neo

Recent coinage from the prefix neo- (“new”). Popularized by a character in the science-fiction film The Matrix (1999), where it is explained as an anagram of "(the) One".

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

name

A unisex given name originating as a coinage.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Recent coinage from the prefix neo- (“new”). Popularized by a character in the science-fiction film The Matrix (1999), where it is explained as an anagram of "(the) One".

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "neo-",
      "neo-#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A unisex given name originating as a coinage."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4940302
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

A surname.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Hokkien 梁 (Niû, Niô͘), or Teochew 梁 (nion⁵ / niên⁵). Doublet of Niu.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention梁nan-hbl
Borrowed-form mention梁nan-tws
Doublet mentionNiuen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nan-hbl",
        "3": "梁",
        "tr": "Niû, Niô͘"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Hokkien 梁 (Niû, Niô͘)"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "5"
      },
      "expansion": "⁵"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "5"
      },
      "expansion": "⁵"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nan-tws",
        "3": "梁",
        "tr": "nion⁵ / niên⁵"
      },
      "expansion": "Teochew 梁 (nion⁵ / niên⁵)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Niu"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of Niu"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "梁",
      "梁#Hokkien"
    ],
    [
      "梁",
      "梁#Teochew"
    ],
    [
      "Niu",
      "Niu#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
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}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

name

An optimized German keyboard layout supporting nearly all Latin-based alphabets.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Named after the Neo Users Group in 2004.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+ (keyboard layout)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
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  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "An optimized German keyboard layout supporting nearly all Latin-based alphabets."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "2b5c4b725d858485e91dfd87b9e1d3ffd7645db7a1918103c69d50a785aca0be",
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

name

An international auxiliary language created by Arturo Alfandari in 1961, combining features of Esperanto, Ido, Novial, and Volapük.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

No narrative was extracted for this section. Available source templates and references appear below; no ancestor chain has been invented to fill the gap.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "wp",
      "args": {},
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
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  "references": [],
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  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "An international auxiliary language created by Arturo Alfandari in 1961, combining features of Esperanto, Ido, Novial, and Volapük."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Neo →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-TmVv