Naked, nekkid and nude
Don Coldsmith, Syndicated Columnist
Originally published 01:43 p.m., May 12, 2008
Updated 01:43 p.m., May 12, 2008
There's probably no one who hasn’t at some time or other had an embarrassing dream about this. You suddenly find yourself on the street, in a classroom, at a party, or at work, with no clothes on. You wake in terror, and for a minute or two, halfway between the dream world and the real world, there’s a shadow of doubt. DID IT REALLY HAPPEN?
Afterward, it’s funny. (That is, if it WAS only a dream. If not, you’re probably reading the wrong column).
The other day I was listening to the radio in the pickup and chanced on a program about words. I’ve always been fascinated by words; their origins, meanings and usages. This lady was talking about “nude” and “naked,” which at first glance would seem to mean the same thing. But not really, she insisted. There are subtle differences here, which we don’t really stop to notice under most circumstances.
Both words apparently go back originally to Latin, where “nudus” meant exactly what we might suspect: Nude or naked. By the time it became an Anglo-Saxon word, it was “nacod,” meaning the same thing.
But in the dictionary, some differences begin to show up. “Naked” has some added meanings, such as helpless, defenseless, unassisted. In the field of astronomy, for example, “naked eye” means with no lenses or telescopes. Another subtle meaning: The uncovering of that which is customarily covered, as in “a naked sword.” All of these usages seem to hint at something threatening or unavoidable. Something that wasn’t really wanted. “Stripped naked” surely has an unpleasant connotation.
Nude, on the other hand, invokes a certain amount of free will. “Nudes” in art are considered perfectly acceptable. Many, even highly desirable. There are “nude beaches” in parts of the world where people who prefer skinny-dipping to some of the ridiculous attire seen on other beaches do so unfettered. By CHOICE. Nudist camps or colonies are populated by those who choose to be there. So, “nude” begins to appear as if there is free choice involved, while “naked” implies misfortune or accident, or worse.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention “naked as a jaybird.” As far as I know, jaybirds seem no more naked than any other avian species. Why not “naked as a buzzard” or a chickadee or ostrich? Some things, I guess, are simply not intended to be understood.
I’m sure, also, that there will be those who will disapprove of my choice of topics for this column. My grandmother would have been shocked. She always had trouble talking about fried chicken, because the leg, thigh, (and even worse), corresponded to the names of human body parts. I’m sorry, Grandma — you’re right, and if God had meant us to run around naked, we’d have probably been born that way.
More seriously, haven’t our ways changed since my grandmother was a girl well over a century ago? I could not have submitted a column like this to a family newspaper then. It would have been scandalous. I might have been stripped naked, tarred and feathered.
By contrast, a few years ago there was an award-winning novel with the title “The Nekkid Cowboy.” I’m sure the title made people want to read the book, because it sounds a little bit naughty — not TOO much.
I don’t know exactly how the Americanized and Westernized term “nekkid” relates to Latin and Anglo-Saxon roots, but I did get a clue. This was from an old cowboy who was commenting on that book’s title.
“Well, ‘naked’ means you got no clothes on. ‘Nekkid’ means you got no clothes and you’re up to somethin.’”
See you down the road.
srochat (Scott Rochat) says...
Interesting discussion. The way I learned the etymology was that "nude" described someone or something that was routinely unclothed, while "naked" described someone who stripped down to get there, either willingly or by force. Hence:
* "Naked as a jaybird." -- The word "jaybird" used to be slang for a rural youth in parts of the country. The phrase refers to the attraction that skinny dipping had for them.
* "The naked truth" -- There's an ancient myth that Truth and Falsehood were bathing together in a river, when Falsehood got out, stole Truth's clothes and put them out. Rather than wear the clothes of Falsehood, Truth decided to go naked.
* "Nudist" -- They're called nudists and not "nakedists" because they've put aside clothes entirely.
* Nude in art -- again it's not called a "naked" because the subject of the piece is unclothed the whole time. And because a "naked" would sound kind of stupid.
I do like your explanation, though, and the free will/compelled choice dichotomy would also fit most of the above choices -- except for the jaybird, of course, but country kids are always causing trouble. :)
Always glad to have a language discussion with a friend. Take care!
--Scott Rochat
May 14, 2008 at 9:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Yes, very interesting discussion. Well done, Scott, especially on the Jaybird. You're right about the "Jay" being associated with rural people, but not necessarily just youths. A bit further if you don't mind...
Blue Jays, those loud and colorful birds, were not always found in cities and suburbs, but mostly in wooded regions. This caused anyone from rural areas to be derided as a "jay." When rural people did venture into urban settings, they often found themselves confused by all the noise and activity. Sometimes ignorant of traffic signals, they would often endanger their lives by trying to cross streets against signals. Hence the term "Jaywalking."
Now, could the term Jayhawk have similar roots?
May 14, 2008 at 6:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bharz (anonymous) says...
"born that way" snicker
June 19, 2009 at 12:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
brackney (anonymous) says...
Um, a fine article. However, I don't think you actually made any kind of a case for a differentiation between terms. Your point is valid that a "nude" is an artistic term referring to a subject that is intentionally sans-clothing, however I think it is only due to a clever marketer that the term became ascribed to beaches or anything else.
As for "nekkid": I would say the only differentiating quality it possesses etymologically is that it has shame attributed. I am fairly certain that the person who uses the word to describe a playboy centerfold would also use the same verbiage when referring to a 2 year old running amuck without his pokemon pjs. Ultimately they are the same word, only spoken by different kinds of people, in differing environments.
May 29, 2010 at 9:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Sorry brackney, he can't hear you. RIP, Don.
May 30, 2010 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )