The origin of the word 'ned'

[violaine]

Can anyone tell me where the word 'ned' is derived from? There was some controversy in Scotland a couple of months ago with some people claiming it stood for 'non-educated delinquent' and other people saying that was rubbish and that the word referred to something different. Can anyone provide a definitive answer?

[starman700]

i always understood it was a derivative of the name edward ie ted ,ned,

[Quizmonster]

Ned is, indeed, a form of Edward, as Starman says. The reason it has taken on the idea of being someone violent and thuggish in a sense dates back to the 1950s and the days of the 'Teddy Boys', Teddy being another form of Edward. They dressed in Edwardian-style clothes - velvet collars and that sort of thing - but they were also the hooligans of their day. Hence 'ned' is the 21st century word for 'thug/yob'. (Incidentally, 'yob' was, of course, just the reverse of 'boy'.)