Where does “näck” come from?

näck (Swedish) comes from Old Norse nykr, from Proto-Germanic nikwiz-, from Proto-Indo-European neygʷ- — to wash.

näck (Swedish): A Näcken, a nix (noun contra proper noun); a male water-spirit in human form, mainly residing in rivers and lakes, who lures people to drown by his wonderful violin playing

Definitions

  1. A Näcken, a nix (noun contra proper noun); a male water-spirit in human form, mainly residing in rivers and lakes, who lures people to drown by his wonderful violin playing

Ancestry of “näck”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsenykra water-demon, the nixie, the nick; mostly appearing as a grey horse-like creature with inverted hoofs and forward fetlocks that emerges from lakes
2Proto-Germanicnikwiz-—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanneygʷ-to wash

Words derived from “näck”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European neygʷ- →
näck — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer