The word "Negley" is spelled with five letters and is pronounced /ˈnɛɡli/. The first phoneme is 'n', which is a nasal consonant pronounced by vibrating the vocal cords while releasing air through the nose. The following two phonemes are vowels. The first is pronounced as 'ɛ', like the sound in the word "get". The second vowel is pronounced as 'i', like the sound in the word "see". The fourth phoneme is 'g', which is a voiced velar consonant pronounced by arching the back of the tongue toward the soft palate. The final phoneme is 'l', which is a voiced, lateral consonant pronounced by placing the tongue against the alveolar ridge and allowing air to escape along the sides.
The word "Negley" is a surname of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name "Njáll" or "Nikill", combined with the Old Gaelic "glaith" or "gleann", meaning "valley" or "meadow". Over time, variations such as "Negley", "Nigley", or "Nagley" emerged as different branches of the family migrated and settled in different regions. The surname "Negley" is also found in Pennsylvania German communities, potentially due to anglicization or assimilation.