Etymology+of+NAZI

The Etymology of NAZI is as follows according to http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=NAZI&searchmode=none

In essence it comes from Nationalsozialist (the German pronunciation of National Socialists).

1930, from Ger. //Nazi,// abbreviation of Ger. pronunciation of //Nationalsozialist// (based on earlier Ger. //sozi,// popular abbreviaton of "socialist"), from //Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei// "National Socialist German Workers' Party," led by Hitler from 1920. The 24th edition of //Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache// (2002) says the word //Nazi// was favored in southern Germany (supposedly from c.1924) among opponents of National Socialism because the nickname //Nazi// (from the masc. proper name //Ignatz,// Ger. form of //Ignatius//) was used colloquially to mean "a foolish person, clumsy or awkward person." //Ignatz// was a popular name in Catholic Austria, and according to one source in WWI //Nazi// was a generic name in the German Empire for the soldiers of Austria-Hungary. An older use of //Nazi// for //national-sozial// is attested in Ger. from 1903, but EWdS does not think it contributed to the word as applied to Hitler and his followers. The NSDAP for a time attempted to adopt the //Nazi// designation as what the Germans call a "despite-word," but they gave this up, and the NSDAP is said to have generally avoided the term. Before 1930, party members had been called in Eng. //National Socialists,// which dates from 1923. The use of //Nazi Germany, Nazi regime,// etc., was popularized by German exiles abroad. From them, it spread into other languages, and eventually brought back to Germany, after the war. In the USSR, the terms //national socialist// and //Nazi// were said to have been forbidden after 1932, presumably to avoid any taint to the good word //socialist.// Soviet literature refers to //fascists.//

A swastika, the symbol of the Nazi party.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika