Where does “neer” come from?
neer (Dutch) comes from Dutch neder, from Middle Dutch neder, from Old Dutch nither, from Proto-West Germanic *niþer, from Proto-Germanic niþer, from Proto-Indo-European niter.
neer (Dutch): down, downwards
Definitions
- down, downwards
Ancestry of “neer”, step by step
neer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch neder
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | neder | down; low- |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | neder | down, downwards; down low; below, beneath |
| 3 | Old Dutch | nither | down |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *niþer | down, downwards |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | niþer | down, downwards |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | niter | — |
via Proto-Indo-European ner-
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Indo-European | ner- | left, below; lower, bottom; to sink, shrivel |