Where does “ναι” come from?
ναι (Greek) comes from Ancient Greek ναί, from Ancient Greek νή, from Proto-Indo-European h₁énos, from Proto-Indo-European h₁é, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰe.
ναι (Greek): yes
Ancestry of “ναι”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ναί | yea, verily; yes |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | νή | by; 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁énos | that, that over there, yon |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁é | and, then |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰe | — |