*nēhw

Reconstruction

The adverb is *nēhw in Wiktionary, which derives it from the adjective *nēhwaz "near".^[1] Orel heads the word as an adverb *nēxw(a),^[2] and Köbler has an adverb *nēhwō beside the adjective *nēhwa-.^[3] Kroonen has only the adjective, *nēhwa- "near", and lists the Gothic adverb among its reflexes.^[4]

Etymology

He describes that adjective as a lengthened-grade formation from Proto-Indo-European *h₂nek- (“to reach”);^[4] Wiktionary starts it from a Pre-Germanic *h₂nḗḱwos to the same root.^[5]

Morphology

An adverb.^[1][2] Bammesberger explains the adjective *nēhwa- as a vṛddhi formation on a primary u-stem *nek-ú-, if the word belongs to PIE *nek- "to reach".^[6] Gothic has the adverb in two forms, Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (nēƕ) and Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰 (nēƕa), with a comparative Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌹𐍃 (nēƕis, “nearer”).^[7][8]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (nēƕ) in Gothic, the prefix Old Norse ná- in Old Norse, and Old English nēah, Old Frisian nei, Old Saxon nāh and Old High German nāh in West Germanic.^[4][2] The Gothic form occurs once in Wulfila's Bible,^[9] where the usual form is Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰 (nēƕa).^[8] Old Norse has the word only as the first part of compounds such as Old Norse nálægr (“lying near”).^[10]

Competing analyses

Orel explains the word as an old compound of *ne- ~ *nō, comparing Lithuanian nuõ (“from”) and Proto-Slavic *na (“on”), with *okᵘ̯- "eye, sight", and adds Lithuanian pranókti (“to ferry across”) and Latvian nākt (“to get there”).^[2] Feist found only uncertain comparisons, among them Zupitza's nókti (“to overtake, to reach”) and nākt (“to come”).^[7] Köbler calls the Gothic word etymologically obscure,^[9] and lists, with question marks, PIE *nekᵘ̯e "and not" and the negation *nē beside *enek̑- "to reach".^[8]

Meanings

1. near, close^[1][3]

Old English also used the adverb for "almost",^[11] and Old High German for "almost" and "afterwards".^[12]

Derivatives

• In Orel, the verb *nēxwēnan ~ *nēxwjanan "to approach" and the noun *nēxwunđō "neighbourhood".^[2]
• Compounds in Orel: *nēxwa-frijōnđz "near kinsman", *nēxwa-mēʒaz "near relative by marriage", *nēxwa-westiz "presence, nearness".^[2]
• Wiktionary forms *nēhwagabūrô "neighbour", *nēhwāną and *nēhwijaną "to approach" from the adjective *nēhwaz.^[5]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (nēƕ, “near”)^[7]
• Old Norse: ná- (“near”), in compounds^[10]
• Old English: nēah (“near, nearly, almost”)^[13]
• Old Frisian: nei (“near”)^[14]
• Old Saxon: nāh (“near”)^[15]
• Old High German: nāh (“near, almost”)^[16]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *nēhw
2. ^ a b c d e f Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 286
3. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *nēhwō
4. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 387
5. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *nēhwaz
6. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 257
7. ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. nēƕ
8. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *nēhwa-
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nēƕ
10. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. ná
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. néah
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nāh
13. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. nēah
14. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. nei
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. nāh
16. ^ Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. nâh