Where does “nyghtmare” come from?

nyghtmare (Middle English) comes from Old English nihtmare, from Proto-West Germanic nahtmarā, from Proto-West Germanic naht, from Proto-Germanic nahts, from Proto-Indo-European nókʷts, from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- — bare, naked.

nyghtmare (Middle English): An evil spirit attacking men or horses at night

Definitions

  1. An evil spirit attacking men or horses at night

Ancestry of “nyghtmare”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishnihtmaremare; nightmare
2Proto-West Germanicnahtmarānightmare
3Proto-West Germanicnahtnight
4Proto-Germanicnahtsnight
5Proto-Indo-Europeannókʷtsnight
6Proto-Indo-Europeannegʷ-bare, naked

Words derived from “nyghtmare”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- →
nyghtmare — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer