Where does “námsmaður” come from?
námsmaður (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic nám, from Icelandic nema, from Old Norse nema, from Proto-Germanic nemaną, from Proto-Indo-European nem- — to distribute; to give, to take.
námsmaður (Icelandic): student
Ancestry of “námsmaður”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | nám | studies, studying; removal |
| 2 | Icelandic | nema | to take, capture; to mine; to amount to |
| 3 | Old Norse | nema | to take; except, unless |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nemaną | to take |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | nem- | to distribute; to give, to take |