Where does “nigh” come from?

nigh (Scottish Gaelic) comes from Middle Irish nigid, from Old Irish nigid, from Proto-Celtic nigyeti, from Proto-Indo-European neygʷ- — to wash.

nigh (Scottish Gaelic): wash, cleanse, purify; bathe; daughter

Definitions

  1. wash, cleanse, purify; bathe; daughter

Ancestry of “nigh”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Irishnigidhe washes
2Old Irishnigidto wash
3Proto-Celticnigyetito wash
4Proto-Indo-Europeanneygʷ-to wash
Every word from Proto-Indo-European neygʷ- →Every word from Proto-Celtic nigyeti →Every word from Old Irish nigid →