Where does “Nachtgespenst” come from?

Nachtgespenst (German) comes from German nacht, from Middle High German naht, from Old High German naht, from Proto-West Germanic naht, from Proto-Germanic nahts, from Proto-Indo-European nókʷts, from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- — bare, naked.

Nachtgespenst (German): nocturnal apparition, ghost

Definitions

  1. nocturnal apparition, ghost

Ancestry of “Nachtgespenst”, step by step

Nachtgespenst traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German nacht

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germannachtnight
2Middle High Germannahtnight
3Old High Germannahtnight
4Proto-West Germanicnahtnight
5Proto-Germanicnahtsnight
6Proto-Indo-Europeannókʷtsnight
7Proto-Indo-Europeannegʷ-bare, naked

via German gespenst

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germangespenstghost, spectre
2Middle High Germangespenst—
3Old High Germangispenstitemptation, illusion
4Old High Germanspananto lure, to attract
Every word from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European nókʷts →Every word from Proto-Germanic nahts →