Where does “nil” come from?
nil (Tok Pisin) comes from English nail, from Middle English nail, from Old English næġl, from Proto-West Germanic nagl, from Proto-Germanic naglaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- — claw, nail; nail.
nil (Tok Pisin): needle; thorn
Definitions
- needle; thorn
Ancestry of “nil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nail | The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and... |
| 2 | Middle English | nail | Alternative form of nayl |
| 3 | Old English | næġl | nail |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | nagl | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | naglaz | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃nogʰ- | claw, nail; nail |