Where does “nef” come from?
nef (Mauritian Creole) comes from French neuf, from Middle French neuf, from Old French nuef, from Latin novem, from Latin novo, from Proto-Italic nowāō, from Proto-Indo-European néweh₂ti, from Proto-Indo-European néwos — new; to nod, assent to.
nef (Mauritian Creole): nine; new
Ancestry of “nef”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | neuf | nine; brand new, very new |
| 2 | Middle French | neuf | — |
| 3 | Old French | nuef | nine; brand new, fresh, new |
| 4 | Latin | novem | nine; 9; first-person singular present active... |
| 5 | Latin | novo | I make new, renew, refresh; I alter, change;... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | nowāō | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | néweh₂ti | to renew |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | néwos | new |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | new- | new; to nod, assent to |