news

[ARSENAL]

Where does the word NEWS come from?

[Quizmonster]

In Middle English, the equivalent word was 'newes', based on the French 'nouvelles'. Clearly, it suggests that whatever is 'news' is something that had not been heard of before.

[Golem]

I'm sure Quizmonster is correct, but for years I thought it came from North, East, West, South - or so Miss T, my English teacher, led me to believe.

[bex76]

It's both of the above; the N E W and S was to show that the information contained in the pages was obtained from the four quarters of the world, but the old spelling 'newes' derives from the French, nouvelles.

Bex

[jno]

It just means new things; it was the same as far back as Latin - novus meant new but novi, the plural, meant news; and it didn't spell out the Roman words for north south east or west, that's just a handy but false folk etymology. Miss T should have known better.

[Quizmonster]

It most assuredly has nothing whatever to do with the points of the compass. Even if it did, I don't believe I have ever known anyone to list them in the order north, east, west, south. North, south, east, west, yes, presenting them as pairs of opposites or north, east, south, west, yes, presenting them in clockwise order.  I'm afraid your teacher was taking the mickey, Golem. (They do, you know.)

[THECORBYLOON]

Ma teacher telt me news was named after the compass points too. Complete rubbish mind. If it were, why not "SEWN" or "WENS" or "EWNS?

[IndieSinger]

If any further information is required on debunking the North East West South myth, click here.