Where does “Näcken” come from?
Näcken (Swedish) comes from Old Norse nykr, from Proto-Germanic nikwiz-, from Proto-Indo-European neygʷ- — to wash.
Ancestry of “Näcken”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | nykr | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | nikwiz- | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | neygʷ- | to wash |