Nettier

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. More easily annoyed or quick to become irritated ; marked by a greater abundance of nettles or prickly plants
2. More prone to irritation or quick-tempered ; having a denser growth of nettles or similar stinging vegetation
3. More inclined toward annoyance or impatience ; containing or covered with more of the prickly nettle plant

Etymology: "Nettier" is the comparative of "netty," so it inherits whatever tangle surrounds its base word. The adjective "netty" has several competing origins, and none is settled. One proposal links it to "net" in the sense of "elegant, neat," with the suffix "-y" giving a slightly lesser degree of that quality. Another ties it to "net" as an openwork mesh fabric. A third suggestion is that it corrupts "necessary," a euphemism for the outhouse, while others point to French "nettoyer" ("to cleanse") or Italian "gabinetto" ("toilet"). Some also propose a derivation from "netball" with the adjective-forming "-y." The two senses of "nettier" are not obviously related, and a reader might assume the stinging-plant sense came first. The "nettle" sense is a separate association. Speakers of the word have simply attached it to different meanings across its uses, and the comparative form simply follows the adjective's pattern: "nettier" marks a greater degree of whichever quality the base word describes.