Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “nyghtgale” come from?

nyghtgale (Middle English) comes from Old English nihtegale, from Proto-West Germanic nahtigalā, from Proto-West Germanic naht, from Proto-Germanic nahts, from Proto-Indo-European nókʷts, from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- — bare, naked.

nyghtgale (Middle English): nightingale

Definitions

  1. nightingale

Ancestry of “nyghtgale”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishnihtegalenightingale
2Proto-West Germanicnahtigalānightingale
3Proto-West Germanicnahtnight
4Proto-Germanicnahtsnight
5Proto-Indo-Europeannókʷtsnight
6Proto-Indo-Europeannegʷ-bare, naked

Words derived from “nyghtgale”

  • nightingale
  • niȝtingale
  • nyghtyngale
  • nightingale
  • 나이팅게일
Every word from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- →