Where does “iets” come from?
iets (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch iets, from Middle Dutch iet, from Middle Dutch iewet, from Old Dutch iowiht, from Old Dutch io, from Proto-West Germanic aiw, from Proto-Germanic aiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu- — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.
iets (Afrikaans): something
Ancestry of “iets”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | iets | something; anything; somewhat |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | iet | something, anything; to any degree, in any way,... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | iewet | Alternative form of iet |
| 4 | Old Dutch | iowiht | — |
| 5 | Old Dutch | io | always, every time, continuously; ever, at some... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | aiw | long time, age, eternity; law |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | aiwaz | long time, age, eternity |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |