Where does “nixie” come from?
nixie (English) comes from English Nix, from English Phoenix, from Old French fenix, from Medieval Latin phenix, from Latin phoenīx, from Ancient Greek Φοῖνιξ, from Mycenaean Greek 𐀡𐀛𐀑𐀍, from Egyptian fnḫw — carpenter, woodcutter.
nixie (English): A female nix, a water-spirit; A piece of mail...
Definitions
- A female nix, a water-spirit; A piece of mail...
Ancestry of “nixie”, step by step
nixie traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Nix
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Nix | One of the moons of Pluto (named 21 June 2006.) |
| 2 | English | Phoenix | A mythical firebird; especially the sacred one from ancient Egyptian mythology |
| 3 | Old French | fenix | phoenix |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | phenix | — |
| 5 | Latin | phoenīx | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Φοῖνιξ | Phoenician; Carthaginian |
| 7 | Mycenaean Greek | 𐀡𐀛𐀑𐀍 | date palm? |
| 8 | Egyptian | fnḫw | a people in Canaan or Syria, perhaps originally... |
| 9 | Egyptian | fnḫ | carpenter, woodcutter |