gnats
/næt/ (gnat), /næts/ (gnats)
noun
Origin
Old English
gnæt — gnat
Overview
Meaning Now
- Small, often biting, flies belonging to the suborder Nematocera.
Literal older meaning
a biting fly
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
gnæt
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The term has Germanic origins and is cognate with Middle Dutch 'gnat'. It has consistently referred to small, nuisance insects throughout its history in the English language.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*gnattaz
“a biting insect”
- Old English
gnæt
“small biting fly”
- Middle English
gnat
“small biting fly”
- Modern English
gnats
“small biting flies”
pluralization
Connections
Word parts
gnat
root
small fly
-s
ending
plural marker
Related across languages
Old Frisian
gnet
gnat
Middle Dutch
gnat
gnat
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.