Where does “niksnut” come from?
niksnut (Dutch) comes from Dutch niks, 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.
niksnut (Dutch): good-for-nothing
Definitions
- good-for-nothing
Ancestry of “niksnut”, step by step
niksnut traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch niks
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | niks | nothing; disagreeable, distasteful, not liking;... |
| 2 | German | Nix | nix water demon in human form that lures people into the water and drowns them |
| 3 | Middle High German | nickes | — |
| 4 | Old High German | nichus | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | nikwus | water-spirit; nix |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | nigʷ-ō-s | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | neygʷ- | to wash |
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 |