Where does “neighbour” come from?
neighbour (Middle English) comes from Old English nēahġebūr, from Proto-West Germanic nāhwagabūrō, from Proto-Germanic nēhwagabūrô, from Proto-Germanic nēhwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂nḗḱwos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂neḱ- — to reach, to attain.
Ancestry of “neighbour”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | nēahġebūr | neighbour |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | nāhwagabūrō | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | nēhwagabūrô | neighbour |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nēhwaz | near, close |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂nḗḱwos | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂neḱ- | to reach, to attain |