Where does “нау” come from?
нау (Ossetian) comes from Proto-Iranian náHuš, from Proto-Indo-Iranian náHuš, from Proto-Indo-European néh₂us, from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₂- — to swim; to float.
нау (Ossetian): ship
Ancestry of “нау”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Iranian | náHuš | boat |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | náHuš | boat |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂us | boat |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)neh₂- | to swim; to float |