Where does “niet” come from?
niet (German) comes from German nieten, from Middle High German nieten, from Old Saxon niotan, from Proto-West Germanic hneudan — to hammer, to pound.
Ancestry of “niet”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | nieten | To rivet |
| 2 | Middle High German | nieten | — |
| 3 | Old Saxon | niotan | to use, to make use of; to enjoy |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hneudan | to hammer, to pound |