Where does “niet” come from?

niet (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch niewiht, from Old Dutch wiht, from Proto-Germanic wihtą, from Proto-Indo-European wekti-, from Proto-Indo-European wekʷ- — to speak, to sound out.

niet (Middle Dutch): not; nothing

Definitions

  1. not; nothing

Ancestry of “niet”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchniewihtnot
2Old Dutchwihtthing, creature
3Proto-Germanicwihtąthing, creature
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwekti-object, thing; thing; cause, sake, thing
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwekʷ-to speak, to sound out
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wekʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wekti- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wihtą →
niet — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer