Where does “neil” come from?
neil (Middle English) comes from Middle English nayl, from Old English næġl, from Proto-West Germanic nagl, from Proto-Germanic naglaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- — claw, nail; nail.
neil (Middle English): Alternative form of nayl
Ancestry of “neil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nayl | A nail; The equivalent to a human nail in... |
| 2 | Old English | næġl | nail |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | nagl | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | naglaz | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃nogʰ- | claw, nail; nail |