Where does “నాయకుడు” come from?

నాయకుడు (Telugu) comes from Sanskrit नायक, from Sanskrit नी, from Proto-Indo-European neyH- — to lead.

నాయకుడు (Telugu): leader

Definitions

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Sanskrit	नायक	guide, leader; chief; lord; master; etc; leader,...
2	Sanskrit	नी	to guide, govern, direct
3	Proto-Indo-European	neyH-	to lead

నాయకుడు — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer