Where does “nål” come from?
nål (Danish) comes from Old Danish naal, from Middle High German nagel, from Old High German nagal, from Proto-West Germanic nagl, from Proto-Germanic naglaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- — claw, nail; nail.
nål (Danish): needle
Ancestry of “nål”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Danish | naal | — |
| 2 | Middle High German | nagel | — |
| 3 | Old High German | nagal | A nail |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | nagl | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | naglaz | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃nogʰ- | claw, nail; nail |