Where does “नहीं” come from?
नहीं (Hindi) comes from Prakrit 𑀡𑀳, from Sanskrit नख, from Proto-Indo-Aryan Hnakʰás, from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- — claw, nail; nail.
नहीं (Hindi): no, not
Ancestry of “नहीं”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Prakrit | 𑀡𑀳 | — |
| 2 | Sanskrit | नख | nail |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | Hnakʰás | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃nogʰ- | claw, nail; nail |