Where does “nachdenklich” come from?
nachdenklich (German) comes from German nachdenken, from German nach, from Middle High German nāh, from Old High German nāh, from Proto-Germanic nēhwiz, from Proto-Germanic nēhw, from Proto-Germanic nēhwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂nḗḱwos — to reach, to attain.
nachdenklich (German): thoughtful, pensive
Ancestry of “nachdenklich”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | nachdenken | to think, to reflect, to ponder |
| 2 | German | nach | after, past; after, behind; to, towards |
| 3 | Middle High German | nāh | — |
| 4 | Old High German | nāh | near, close; close, near |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | nēhwiz | closer, nearer |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | nēhw | near, close |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | nēhwaz | near, close |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂nḗḱwos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂neḱ- | to reach, to attain |