The term nasty has an interesting history. It first appeared in English in 1390 as nasti, meaning “filthy”, and later evolved to encompass a broader sense of “disgusting” in general. Its origins are somewhat uncertain, with some theories suggesting a connection to Dutch nestig and Swedish neskog, both with similar meanings. This could point to an Old Norse origin. Other theories propose that it is derived from the Old French villenastre, meaning “bad” (related to villain), or that it is linked to a Middle Dutch word for “nest”, or even traces back to Old High German naz, meaning “wet”. Despite these speculations, there is no definitive consensus on the word’s etymology. It should be noted that the popular myth linking it to editorial cartoonist Thomas Nast is inaccurate, as he lived centuries after the term’s first appearance.
