Where does “narkval” come from?
narkval (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Old Norse náhvalr, from Old Norse Nár, from Proto-Germanic nawiz, from Proto-Indo-European neh₂wis, from Proto-Indo-European neh₂u-, from Proto-Indo-European néh₂us, from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₂- — to swim; to float.
narkval (Norwegian Nynorsk): a narwhal
Ancestry of “narkval”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | náhvalr | corpse whale |
| 2 | Old Norse | Nár | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | nawiz | corpse |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | neh₂wis | corpse |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | neh₂u- | death; death; corpse; ship, boat |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂us | boat |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)neh₂- | to swim; to float |