Where does “neighbour” come from?
Neighbour derives from Middle English neighebor, from Old English nēahġebūr, a compound of Proto-Germanic nēhwaz meaning near and gabūrô meaning dweller, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂nḗḱwos.
neighbour (English): A person living on adjacent or nearby land; a...
Definitions
- A person living on adjacent or nearby land; a...
Ancestry of “neighbour”, step by step
neighbour traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English neighebor
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | neighebor | neighbour; citizen |
| 2 | Old English | nēahġebūr | neighbour |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | nāhwagabūrō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nēhwagabūrô | neighbour |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | nēhwaz | near, close |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂nḗḱwos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂neḱ- | to reach, to attain |
via Middle English neighbour
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | neighbour | — |
via Middle English neihebur
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | neihebur | — |