Nice is Not a "Nice" Word

An Etymological Vendetta.

I thought my subtitle was cute, and immediately questioned my authority of its meaning. I understand most words in context, not specific definitions, which can lead to misuse on occasion. I love language but am neither Merriam nor Webster.

However, a quick Google on the ol’ internet machine enlightened me that vendetta can be a “prolonged bitter quarrel with,” and that is my relationship with the word “nice.” Ah, the power of having information accessible in the palm of your hand. Well, no exactly because clearly writing about my vendetta is a big screen task, so on a laptop is where this searching occurs.

Okay, well enough of my life story, and back to the recipe. (I am nothing if I am not a tangent queen…bow bitches.)

I can not recall ever enjoying the use of the word nice, whether being used myself or by others. It is not awful to be nice, but surely there are so many better words. So many more specific terms to elucidate HOW one displays this “nice” ness. Why shrink to using this common thrown-around little four-letter demon that has become a pet peeve of a descriptor?

(I still use it, but am trying to train myself out of it. I too am the problem.)

I do not think I ever loved “nice,” but my deep dive into its depths of creation was sparked by a specific usage that made my stomach curdle. A human was trying to endear me to another. And to encourage my interest in this being…they described him as “nice.” My brain automatically was like… “Oh God, What is wrong with him if that is your best way to describe him?” Then, selfishly, “HOW THE FUCK DO YOU DESCRIBE ME?” I did not say this out loud because I was much more blanketed in my cosplay of the achiever of the American Dream, and that type of outburst would not fit the role (A whole other tangent…).

And thus my brain did its thing…

When do you use “nice”? Well, the most common usage I can think of is for when I have nothing “nice” to say…I usually describe someone or thing as “nice.” It is like, “I have nothing of value to comment, but I also do not want to be mean or rude in saying that I do not care.” At this time of word use reflection, I was deep in reading books on etymology. I was uncovering that the words we use currently DO NOT always maintain their original meaning. Words often take on a nearly opposite meaning now from when the word first appeared in our lexicon (as far as we have a record of it). And OF COURSE, this made me think of “nice”. Because why am I so affronted by this descriptor? It should not hold the connotation of “there is nothing else kind to say so I offer this word of truce to avoid the scandal of honestly describing someone, because that would be cruel.”

In my past life, I was a teacher. (Remember I said I cosplayed as the American Dream, it was the teacher edition. Yes, I am calling my pre-Saturn Return time a past life.) I went for training in OG, Orton-Gillingham. It is a multi-sensory phonics-based reading program. In the program, they shared the resource Etymonline, which is a website where you can look up word origins. An older student version of the reading program focuses on word origins, I think, it has been a while. However, I never forgot about this website. So, that is where I typed in “nice,” and my old crypt keeper soul knew this word was trash. The beginning of the search shares:

“"Late 13c., "foolish, ignorant, frivolous, senseless," from Old French nice (12c.) "careless, clumsy; weak; poor, needy; simple, stupid, silly, foolish," from Latin nescius "ignorant, unaware," literally "not-knowing," from ne- "not" (from PIE root *ne- "not") + stem of scire "to know" (see science). "The sense development has been extraordinary, even for an adj." [Weekley] — from "timid, faint-hearted" (pre-1300); to "fussy, fastidious" (late 14c.); to "dainty, delicate" (c. 1400); to "precise, careful" (1500s, preserved in such terms as a nice distinction and nice and early); to "agreeable, delightful" (1769); to "kind, thoughtful" (1830).”

Yes, the term has clearly evolved to be a more positive connotation. It does give the vibes of describing a love-sick person flirting and thus would explain how it evolved to a more agreeable term. However, my brain lived in the 13 century I guess, and it makes me horrified that another term could not have been found to better describe whatever or whoever is being deemed nice. AGAIN, I am also the problem and use “nice”. I do cringe after I notice I have done it, though, and that counts for something…at least in my head.

Thank you for embarking on this strange etymological vendetta that lives rent-free in my brain. Words are powerful, and thus fascinate me with how their usage morphs and the meanings follow suit with time.

Until my next pondering,

Boars of Valor

Is there a word that lived rent-free in your head? Or a word you would love me to analyze more? Leave a comment =].