"newly born or about to be born; rising or coming forth," originally a term in heraldry, 1570s, from French naissant, present participle of naître, from Gallo-Roman *nascere, from Latin nasci "be born" (see genus).

1650s, "natural, simple, unsophisticated, artless," from French naïve, fem. of naïf, from Old French naif "naive, natural, genuine; just born; foolish, innocent; unspoiled, unworked" (13c.), from Latin nativus "not artificial," also "native, rustic," literally "born, innate, natural" (see native (adj.)). In philosophy, "unreflecting, uncritical" (1895), used of non-philosophers. Related: Naively.

1670s, "a natural, unreserved expression of sentiments or thoughts," from French naïveté, from Old French naiveté "genuineness, authenticity," literally "native disposition" (see naive). From 1725 as "native simplicity." Englished form naivety is attested from 1708.

Old English nacod "nude, unclothed, bare; empty," also "not fully clothed" (a sense still used in 18c.),  from Proto-Germanic *nakwadaz (source also of Old Frisian nakad, Middle Dutch naket, Dutch naakt, Old High German nackot, German nackt, Old Norse nökkviðr, Old Swedish nakuþer, Gothic naqaþs "naked"), from PIE root *nogw- "naked" (source also of Sanskrit nagna, Hittite nekumant-, Old Persian *nagna-, Greek gymnos, Latin nudus, Lithuanian nuogas, Old Church Slavonic nagu-, Russian nagoi, Old Irish nocht, Welsh noeth "bare, naked").

Of things, "without the usual or customary covering" (of a sword, etc.), from Old English. Applied to qualities, actions, etc., "mere, pure, open to view, unconcealed," from c. 1200; phrase the naked truth is from early 15c. Phrase naked as a jaybird (1943) was earlier naked as a robin (1879, in a Shropshire context); Middle English had naked as a worm (mid-14c.), naked as a needle (late 14c.). Naked eye "the eye unassisted by any instrument" is from 1660s, an unnecessary term before telescopes and microscopes.

"to make naked," mid-14c., naken, from naked, perhaps with misapprehension of the -d as a past tense suffix. Marked as "Obs[olete] exc[ept] Sc[ottish]" in OED. Earlier was naken "to strip naked" (mid-13c.); a later generation coined nakedize (1858).

Old English nacedness "nudity, bareness;" see naked + -ness.

c. 1200, "without concealment, plainly, openly," from naked + -ly (1).

name of a chemical antagonistic to narcotics, 1964, from elements of N-allynoroxymorphone.

colloquial shortening of Vietnam, 1969, originally among U.S. troops sent there.

1948, "salutatory gesture made by bringing the palms together and bowing," from Hindi, from Sanskrit namas "bowing" (from namas- "obeisance," from PIE root *nem- "assign, allot; take") + te, dative of tuam "you" (singular). Attested as a word of greeting by 1967.