Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “nede” come from?

nede (Middle English) comes from Old English nīed, from Proto-Germanic *naudi, from Proto-Germanic naudiz — need; trouble, distress; compulsion, force.

Ancestry of “nede”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishnīedneed, compulsion
2Proto-Germanic*naudi—
3Proto-Germanicnaudizneed; trouble, distress; compulsion, force

Words derived from “nede”

  • need
  • needed
  • needing
  • unneeded
  • needling
  • needeth
  • needest
  • needer
  • needn't
  • preneed
  • neednae
  • needsome
  • unneeding
  • needment
  • needlingly
  • needwise
  • needways
  • nidim
Every word from Proto-Germanic naudiz →