Where does “niks” come from?

niks (Danish) comes from German Nix, from Middle High German nickes, from Old High German nichus, from Proto-Germanic nikwus, from Proto-Indo-European nigʷ-ō-s, from Proto-Indo-European neygʷ- — to wash.

niks (Danish): no, no way; nothing

Definitions

  1. no, no way; nothing

Ancestry of “niks”, step by step

niks traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Nix

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanNixnix water demon in human form that lures people into the water and drowns them
2Middle High Germannickes
3Old High Germannichus
4Proto-Germanicnikwuswater-spirit; nix
5Proto-Indo-Europeannigʷ-ō-s
6Proto-Indo-Europeanneygʷ-to wash

via Low German niks

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Low Germanniksnothing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European neygʷ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European nigʷ-ō-sEvery word from Proto-Germanic nikwus