Where does “near” come from?
Near comes from Middle English nere, from Old English nēora, from Proto-Germanic neurô, from Proto-Indo-European negʷʰrós, ultimately related to Proto-Indo-European h₂neḱ- meaning to approach or draw close.
near (English): Physically close; Close in time; Closely...
Definitions
- Physically close; Close in time; Closely...
Ancestry of “near”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nere | kidney; near; weren't |
| 2 | Middle Low German | nēre | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *neurō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | neurô | kidney; testicle |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | negʷʰrós | kidney |
Words derived from “near”