Where does “river-nymph” come from?
river-nymph (English) comes from English River, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.
river-nymph (English): A nymph residing in and presiding over a river; a naiad
Definitions
- A nymph residing in and presiding over a river; a naiad
Ancestry of “river-nymph”, step by step
river-nymph traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English River
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | River | A place name |
| 2 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 3 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 4 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 5 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English nymph
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nymph | Any female nature spirit associated with water,... |
| 2 | Middle English | nimphe | nymph |
| 3 | Old French | nimphe | nymph |
| 4 | Latin | nympha | bride, mistress; young woman; nymph |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | νύμφη | bride, young wife; young, nubile woman;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | snewbʰ- | to marry, wed; to marry, to wed |