Where does “นางเอก” come from?

นางเอก (Thai) comes from Thai เอก, from Pali eka, from Sanskrit एक, from Proto-Indo-Aryan Háykas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Háykas, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.

นางเอก (Thai): heroine; female protagonist; leading lady

Definitions

  1. heroine; female protagonist; leading lady

Ancestry of “นางเอก”, step by step

นางเอก traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Thai เอก

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiเอกsole; single; solitary; one; alone; lonely;...
2Paliekaone
3Sanskritएकone; alone, solitary, single, happening only...
4Proto-Indo-AryanHáykasone
5Proto-Indo-IranianHáykasone
6Proto-Indo-Europeanóynosone; single

via Thai นาง

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiนางwoman
2Proto-Tainaːŋᴬlady
3Middle Chinese娘—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European óynos →Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian Háykas →Every word from Proto-Indo-Aryan Háykas →