The word ‘Nice’ has changed its lexical field radically over the years since it evolved. It derived from the Latin Nescius with the original meaning of ‘ignorant’ the word began life in the 14th century as a term for “foolish” or “silly”.

It soon embraced bad qualities, such as wantonness, extravagance, cowardice and sloth.

In the middle Ages it took on the more neutral attributes of shyness and reserve.

Society’s admiration of such qualities in the 18th century brought on the more positively charged meanings of “nice” we know today, with the positive connotations that it carries comparing to the history of the words connotations.