Where does “fjallnykra” come from?
fjallnykra (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic nykra, from Icelandic nykur, from Old Norse nykr, from Proto-Germanic nikwiz-, from Proto-Indo-European neygʷ- — to wash.
fjallnykra (Icelandic): alpine pondweed (Potamogeton alpinus)
Definitions
- alpine pondweed (Potamogeton alpinus)
Ancestry of “fjallnykra”, step by step
fjallnykra traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Icelandic nykra
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | nykra | pondweed plant of the genus |
| 2 | Icelandic | nykur | a water-demon, the nixie, the nick |
| 3 | Old Norse | nykr | a water-demon, the nixie, the nick; mostly appearing as a grey horse-like creature with inverted hoofs and forward fetlocks that emerges from lakes |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nikwiz- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | neygʷ- | to wash |