Where does “nāh” come from?
nāh (Middle High German) comes from Old High German nāh, from Proto-Germanic nēhwiz, from Proto-Germanic nēhw, from Proto-Germanic nēhwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂nḗḱwos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂neḱ- — to reach, to attain.
Ancestry of “nāh”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | nāh | near, close; close, near |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | nēhwiz | closer, nearer |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | nēhw | near, close |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nēhwaz | near, close |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂nḗḱwos | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂neḱ- | to reach, to attain |