Where does “nathair” come from?
nathair (Irish) comes from Old Irish nathir, from Proto-Celtic natrixs, from Proto-Indo-European n̥h₁trih₂, from Proto-Indo-European snéh₁ — to spin, twist.
nathair (Irish): snake
Ancestry of “nathair”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Irish | nathir | snake |
| 2 | Proto-Celtic | natrixs | snake |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | n̥h₁trih₂ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | snéh₁ | to spin, twist |