Where does “neer” come from?
neer (English) comes from Middle English neere, from Middle High German nerren, from Old High German nerjan, from Proto-West Germanic naʀjan, from Proto-Germanic nazjaną, from Proto-Indo-European nes- — to return home.
neer (English): Kidney
Ancestry of “neer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | neere | Alternative form of nere |
| 2 | Middle High German | nerren | — |
| 3 | Old High German | nerjan | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | naʀjan | to save, to rescue |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | nazjaną | to save; rescue; heal |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | nes- | to return home |