Where does “Nowak” come from?

Nowak is a Polish surname derived from the adjective nowy meaning "new," formed with the Slavic suffix -akъ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European néwos, the root for "new."

Ancestry of “Nowak”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Polish	Nowak	rookie, novice
2	Polish	Nowy	new
3	Old Polish	nowy	new
4	Proto-Slavic	nòvъ	new
5	Proto-Balto-Slavic	náwas	new
6	Proto-Indo-Aryan	náwas	—
7	Proto-Indo-European	néwyos	Alternative form of *néwos; new
8	Proto-Indo-European	néwos	new
9	Proto-Indo-European	new-	new; to nod, assent to

Every word from Proto-Indo-European new- →