Authoritative answer

Exact answer

Nice came through Anglo-French from Latin nescius, meaning ignorant; early English senses included foolish before the word shifted toward precise and agreeable.

Scope: Recorded English etymology and sense history; reviewed July 31, 2026.

Important boundary: The phrase 'in Roman' is imprecise; the source identifies a Latin root, not one unchanged Roman meaning.

Evidence

Quick answer

A short etymology card for nice: origin, meaning history, memorable hook, and source-language context.

Source-first Reviewed Sep 2026

Origin story

From nescius, ignorant, shifting through foolish, precise, refined, agreeable.

Why it sticks

One of English's great reputation makeovers.