Where does “nae” come from?
nae (Irish) comes from Middle Irish nó, from Old Irish nau, from Proto-Celtic *nāwā, from Proto-Indo-European néh₂us, from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₂- — to swim; to float.
nae (Irish): boat
Ancestry of “nae”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Irish | nó | — |
| 2 | Old Irish | nau | Archaic form of nó; ship |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | *nāwā | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂us | boat |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)neh₂- | to swim; to float |