Where does “nie” come from?
nie (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch niet, from German niet, from German nieten, from Middle High German nieten, from Old Saxon niotan, from Proto-West Germanic hneudan — to hammer, to pound.
nie (Afrikaans): not
Ancestry of “nie”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | niet | Not, no; staple |
| 2 | German | niet | — |
| 3 | German | nieten | To rivet |
| 4 | Middle High German | nieten | — |
| 5 | Old Saxon | niotan | to use, to make use of; to enjoy |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | hneudan | to hammer, to pound |