Where does “nerf” come from?

nerf (Dutch) comes from Dutch nerve, from Middle Dutch narwe, from Old Dutch narwa, from Polish narwać, from Polish na-, from Old Polish na-, from Proto-Slavic na- — on.

nerf (Dutch): grain of wood; a similar line in leather, paper,...

Definitions

  1. grain of wood; a similar line in leather, paper,...

Ancestry of “nerf”, step by step

nerf traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Dutch nerve

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1DutchnerveObsolete form of nerf
2Middle Dutchnarwe—
3Old Dutchnarwa—
4Polishnarwaćto pick many, to collect many
5Polishna-added to verbs to make them perfective
6Old Polishna-added to verbs to make them perfective
7Proto-Slavicna-on

via Latin nervus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinnervusA sinew, tendon, nerve, muscle; A cord, string or...
2Proto-Indo-European(s)new-—
Every word from Proto-Slavic na- →Every word from Polish na- →Every word from Old Polish na- →