Where does “nana” come from?
nana (Malay) comes from Tamil அண்ணா, from Tamil நா, from Tamil நால், from Old Swedish nāl, from Old Norse nál, from Proto-Germanic nēþlō, from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₁- — to spin , to sew.
nana (Malay): brother
Ancestry of “nana”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Tamil | அண்ணா | elder brother |
| 2 | Tamil | நா | — |
| 3 | Tamil | நால் | — |
| 4 | Old Swedish | nāl | — |
| 5 | Old Norse | nál | needle |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | nēþlō | needle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)neh₁- | to spin , to sew |