Where does “nacht” come from?
nacht (German) comes 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.
Ancestry of “nacht”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | naht | night |
| 2 | Old High German | naht | night |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | naht | night |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nahts | night |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | nókʷts | night |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | negʷ- | bare, naked |