niece: [13] Niece comes ultimately from *neptī-, the feminine form of Indo-European *nepōt- (source of English nephew). This passed into Latin as neptis ‘granddaughter, niece’, which in post-classical times became *neptia. Old French took it over as niece – whence English niece. *Neptī- also had a Germanic descendant, *niptiz, which now survives only in German nichte and Dutch nicht ‘niece’. => nephew
niece (n.)
c. 1300, from Old French niece "niece, granddaughter" (12c., Modern French nièce), earlier niepce, from Latin neptia (also source of Portuguese neta, Spanish nieta), a more decidedly feminine form of neptis "granddaughter," in Late Latin "niece," fem. of nepos "grandson, nephew" (see nephew). Replaced Old English nift, from Proto-Germanic *neftiz, from the same PIE root (Old English also used broðordohter and nefene).
Until c. 1600, it also commonly meant "a granddaughter" or any remote female descendant. Cognate with Spanish nieta, Old Lithuanian nepte, Sanskrit naptih "granddaughter;" Czech net, Old Irish necht, Welsh nith, German Nichte "niece."
双语例句
1. He looked affectionately at his niece.
他慈爱地看着他的侄女。
来自柯林斯例句
2. My niece was left in my trust for the weekend.
我受托周末照顾我的外甥女.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. He adopts his niece as his heiress.
他指定他的侄女为继承人.
来自《简明英汉词典》
4. Mary left her most precious possession — a small bookcase to her niece.
玛丽把她最珍视的财产——一个小书架，留给了她的侄女。
来自柯林斯例句
5. This year all the apples are all red. My niece and nephew are going out this morning with step-ladders to pick some.