Where does “gnu” come from?

gnu (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from German Gnu, from Afrikaans ghnoe, from Nama !nu:.

gnu (Norwegian Nynorsk): a gnu or wildebeest; to rub hard; to compress,...

Definitions

  1. a gnu or wildebeest; to rub hard; to compress,...

Ancestry of “gnu”, step by step

gnu traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Gnu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanGnugnu
2Afrikaansghnoe—
3Nama!nu:—

via Old Norse gnúa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsegnúato rub
2Proto-Germanicganū(w)aną—
Every word from Nama !nu: →Every word from Afrikaans ghnoe →Every word from German Gnu →