Where does “nit” come from?

nit (Icelandic) comes from Old Norse gnit, from Proto-Germanic hnits, from Proto-Indo-European *-níd- — nit, louse egg.

nit (Icelandic): nit egg of a louse

Definitions

  1. nit egg of a louse

Ancestry of “nit”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsegnit—
2Proto-Germanichnitsnit, louse egg
3Proto-Indo-European*-níd-nit, louse egg
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *-níd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hnits →Every word from Old Norse gnit →