English word origin

Etymology of naïf

Borrowed from French naïf. Doublet of native and neif.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

adj

Naive.

noun

One who is naive.

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

Borrowed from French naïf. Doublet of native and neif.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionnaïffr
Doublet mentionnativeen
Doublet mentionneifen

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "naïf"
      },
      "expansion": "French naïf"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "native",
        "3": "neif"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of native and neif"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "naïf",
      "naïf#French"
    ],
    [
      "native",
      "native#English"
    ],
    [
      "neif",
      "neif#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Naive."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 453621
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "One who is naive."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "e54c907018cd972a591ab7359bb9e1f93a58f4f7a85aa6a2adcb9524afaa896f",
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    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 naïf →

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-bmHDr2Y