Where does “nie” come from?
nie (Middle High German) comes from Old High German nio, from Old High German io, from Proto-West Germanic aiw, from Proto-Germanic aiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.
Ancestry of “nie”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | nio | never |
| 2 | Old High German | io | always |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | aiw | long time, age, eternity; law |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | aiwaz | long time, age, eternity |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |