Where does “nightmarish” come from?
Nightmarish is derived from nightmare through the Middle English suffix -isch, Old English -isċ, Proto-West Germanic -isk, and Proto-Germanic -iskaz, all from Proto-Indo-European -iskos, ultimately tracing to the Proto-Indo-European root mer- meaning to rub or harm.
nightmarish (English): Resembling a nightmare
Ancestry of “nightmarish”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | nightmare | A demon or monster, thought to plague people... |
| 2 | English | night | The period between sunset and sunrise, when a... |
| 3 | Middle English | nyght | Alternative form of nighte; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Middle English | nighte | night |
| 5 | Old English | nyht | Alternative form of niht |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | naht | night |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | nahts | night |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | nókʷts | night |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | negʷ- | bare, naked |
Words derived from “nightmarish”