Etymology Explorer › Proto-West Germanic

Where does “nain” come from?

nain (Proto-West Germanic) comes from Proto-Germanic nainaz, from Proto-Germanic nē, from Proto-Germanic aiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.

Ancestry of “nain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicnainaznot any
2Proto-Germanicnēnot
3Proto-Germanicaiwazlong time, age, eternity
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eyu-vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ey-vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning

Words derived from “nain”

  • non
  • none
  • nobody
  • noon
  • nowhere
  • nonsense
  • na
  • nonprofit
  • nonlinear
  • nonverbal
  • nonexistent
  • nonfiction
  • nonviolent
  • nonhuman
  • nongovernmental
  • nonspecific
  • noonday
  • noncompliance
  • noninvasive
  • nonviolence
  • nontraditional
  • nondescript
  • nonzero
  • nonsensical
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- →