Where does “nigh” come from?
Nigh comes from Middle English neygh, Old English nēah, Proto-Germanic nēhw and nēhwaz, and Proto-Indo-European h₂neḱ-, which originally meant close or near in spatial terms.
nigh (English): near, close by; Not remote in degree, kindred,...
Definitions
- near, close by; Not remote in degree, kindred,...
Ancestry of “nigh”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | neygh | Physically near or adjacent; Figuratively near;... |
| 2 | Old English | nēah | nigh, near; near |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *nāhw | — |
Words derived from “nigh”