Where does “” come from?

尼 (Chinese) comes from Chinese 比丘尼, from Pali bhikkhunī, from Sanskrit भिक्षुणी, from Sanskrit नी, from Proto-Indo-European neyH- — to lead.

Ancestry of “”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Chinese比丘尼bhikkhuni; Buddhist nun
2PalibhikkhunīBuddhist nun
3Sanskritभिक्षुणीBuddhist nun
4Sanskritनीto guide, govern, direct
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanneyH-to lead
Every word from Proto-Indo-European neyH-