Etymology Explorer › Persian

Where does “نهنگ” come from?

نهنگ (Persian) comes from Middle Persian 𐫗𐫍𐫗𐫃, from Proto-Iranian niθanga-, from Proto-Iranian ni-, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ní, from Proto-Indo-European ni — down.

نهنگ (Persian): crocodile or hippopotamus; whale; Synonym: وال

Definitions

  1. crocodile or hippopotamus; whale; Synonym: وال

Ancestry of “نهنگ”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Persian𐫗𐫍𐫗𐫃—
2Proto-Iranianniθanga-—
3Proto-Iranianni-down
4Proto-Indo-Iraniannídown, downwards; in, into
5Proto-Indo-Europeannidown

Words derived from “نهنگ”

  • Nihang
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ni →