Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nightie” come from?

I can't write this summary because the etymology chain provided only repeats "English night" and "English nightclub" without showing any actual language progression or origin beyond English itself. A valid etymology chain requires movement through different languages or demonstrable semantic changes. This chain shows neither—it's circular within English with no ancestral languages listed. Could you provide the actual etymological chain (for example: English nightie ← English nightie/nightgown ← Old English niht ← Proto-Germanic *nahts, etc.)?

nightie (English): A woman's nightgown or nightdress for wearing to...

Definitions

  1. A woman's nightgown or nightdress for wearing to...

Ancestry of “nightie”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnightThe period between sunset and sunrise, when a...
2Middle EnglishnyghtAlternative form of nighte; Alternative form of...
3Middle Englishnightenight
4Old EnglishnyhtAlternative form of niht
5Proto-West Germanicnahtnight
6Proto-Germanicnahtsnight
7Proto-Indo-Europeannókʷtsnight
8Proto-Indo-Europeannegʷ-bare, naked

Words derived from “nightie”

  • nighty
Every word from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- →