Where does “नि-” come from?
नि- (Hindi) comes from Sanskrit निस्-, from Sanskrit नि-, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ní, from Proto-Indo-European ni — down.
नि- (Hindi): without
Ancestry of “नि-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | निस्- | out, forth, away &c |
| 2 | Sanskrit | नि- | into; down; without, free of |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ní | down, downwards; in, into |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ni | down |