Where does “nietsnut” come from?
nietsnut (Dutch) comes from Dutch niets, from Dutch iets, from Middle Dutch iet, from Middle Dutch iewet, from Old Dutch iowiht, from Old Dutch io, from Proto-West Germanic aiw, from Proto-Germanic aiwaz — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.
nietsnut (Dutch): good-for-nothing
Definitions
- good-for-nothing
Ancestry of “nietsnut”, step by step
nietsnut traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch niets
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | niets | nothing |
| 2 | Dutch | iets | something; anything; somewhat |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | iet | something, anything; to any degree, in any way,... |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | iewet | Alternative form of iet |
| 5 | Old Dutch | iowiht | — |
| 6 | Old Dutch | io | always, every time, continuously; ever, at some... |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | aiw | long time, age, eternity; law |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | aiwaz | long time, age, eternity |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |
via Dutch nut
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | nut | use, point, utility, sense; benefit; useful |
| 2 | Old Dutch | nut | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | nutją | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | newd- | to seize; grasp; use; to grasp, seize, use; to... |
via German Nichtsnutz
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Nichtsnutz | goof-off, no good, wastrel, spalpeen, nogoodnik,... |
| 2 | German | zu nichts nutzen | be of no avail |