Where does “nøkkeltall” come from?

nøkkeltall (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from Norwegian Bokmål nøkkel, from Middle Norwegian nykill, from Old Norse lykill, from Old Norse lúka, from Proto-Germanic lūkaną, from Proto-Indo-European lewǵ- — to break, tear; to break, shatter.

nøkkeltall (Norwegian Bokmål): key figure(s) often plural, e.g. in an analysis

Definitions

  1. key figure(s) often plural, e.g. in an analysis

Ancestry of “nøkkeltall”, step by step

nøkkeltall traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Norwegian Bokmål nøkkel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmålnøkkela key; a spanner or wrench
2Middle Norwegiannykillkey
3Old Norselykillkey
4Old Norselúkato shut; to end, bring to an end, finish,...
5Proto-Germaniclūkanąto close, to shut; Alternative form of *leukaną
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlewǵ-to break, tear; to break, shatter

via Norwegian Bokmål tall

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmåltallnumber, numeral, figure
2Old Norsetala talk, parley, conversation; speech, language; a...
3Proto-Germanictaląspeech; number
4Proto-Indo-Europeandol-reckoning, calculation, fraud; calculation, fraud
5Proto-Indo-Europeandel-to aim, calculate, adjust, count; to reckon,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewǵ-Every word from Proto-Germanic lūkanąEvery word from Old Norse lúka