Cognate Set 2268 – Meaning: nail

IE-CoR reference form:
*h₃neg⁽ʷ⁾ʰ-
IE-CoR reference language:
Proto-Indo-European
Ideophonic:
no
Parallel derivation:
no
Justification:
Anatolian, Tocharian, Hellenic, Armenian, Indo-Iranic, Balto-Slavic, Germanic, Italic, and Celtic lexemes derived from PIE *h₃neg⁽ʷ⁾ʰ- '(finger)nail' (Kloekhorst 2008:723-725, Beekes 2010:1086-1087, Martirosyan 2010:254-255, EWAia II:4-5, ALEW 681-682, Derksen 2015:327, ESSJa 25:161-164, 170-173, Derksen 2008:355, de Vaan 2008:641, Matasović 2009:36). Indo-Iranic forms go back to an aberrant *(H)nákha-; Indo-Aryan forms go back to nakhá- ~ *nakkha-; some show early nasalization due to blend with aṅgúri- ~ aṅgúli- 'finger, toe' (°-aṅgulá-) or aṅguṣṭhá- 'thumb'; aṅká- 'hook' (RV) and later aṅkurá- 'hooked' may also have played a role, cf. Turner 1962–1966, no. 6914 + 134f. 137f., 100, 109; Addenda 6914
Found in clades:
Anatolian, Armenian, Baltic, Celtic, Germanic, Hellenic, Indic, Iranic, Italic, Nuristani, Slavic, Tocharian
Revised by:
Matthew Scarborough, Roland Pooth
Found in 12 clades by 141 lexemes.
Language Lexeme Native script Phonetic Phonemic Notes
6   Greek: Ancient ónyx ὄνυξ ó̞nyks ó̞nyks G.sg. ὄνυχος
26   Maithili nah नाह nɑh
21   Vedic: Early nakhá- नख- nɐˈkʰɐ- nakʰá- 'nail, claw', stem
78   Old Church Slavonic nogŭtĭ ногъть nɔɡʊtɪ̆ noɡʊtɪ
77   Old Prussian nagutis EV
74   Latvian nags nɑks nɑks
121   Luxembourgish Nol noːl noːl Fangernol
124   Latin unguis ˈuŋɡwis ˈunɡwis gen. unguis
159   Gaelic: Scottish ìne iːnə
3   Tocharian A maku məku məku Plurale tantum.
4   Tocharian B mekwa ˈmekwa mekwa Plurale tantum. Possibly /ˈmekəwa/ [ˈmekəwa].
17   Armenian: Western ełownkʿ եղունք jɛˈʁuŋkʰ ɛʁun(-)kʰ
8   Greek: Modern Std nýchi νύχι ˈniçi ˈnixi From dim. of Anc.Gk. ὄνυξ > ὀνύχιον.
129   Italian unghia ˈuŋɡja ˈunɡja
136   French ongle ɔ̃ːɡlə ɔ̃ɡl
76   Lithuanian nãgas ˈnɑːɡɐs ˈnɑːɡas
143   Spanish uña ˈuɲa ˈuɲa
161   Gaelic: Irish ionga ˈʊŋˠɡˠə ˈØʲəŋˠɡˠə
110   Danish negl ˈnɑjˀl
109   Swedish nagel ˈnɑːɡəl
112   English nail neɪl Middle English, from Old English nægl
116   Dutch nagel ˈnaɣəl
122   German Nagel ˈnaːɡl̩ ˈnaːɡəl
93   Czech nehet ˈnɛɦɛt ˈneɦet
88   Polish paznokieć pɑ̈ˈznɔkʲetɕ paˈznocetɕ With additional prefix 'paz-'.
97   Russian nogot' ноготь ˈnɔɡətsʲ ˈnoɡotʲ
67   Persian: Tehran nāxun ناخن nɒːχon nɒχun
1   Hittite šankui- / šankuu̯ai- ša-an-ku-u̯i-i̯a-aš
56   Kurdish N.: Bahdini nēnuk neːnuk
130   Friulian ongule ˈɔŋɡulɛ ˈɔnɡule
103   Icelandic nögl nœɡ̊l From Old Norse nagl id.
141   Catalan ungla ˈuŋɡlə ˈuŋɡlə
158   Old Irish ingen ˈɪŋʲɡʲen ˈiŋʲɡʲən
15   Armenian: Classical ełowngn եղունգն jɛˈʁuŋɡən ɛɫunɡ-ɑn- eɫungnDerived from PIE *h3nogwh- or *h3nogh-u- 'nail'.
13   Tsakonian: Peloponnese nýchi νύχι ˈɲiçi ˈɲixi
107   Elfdalian nagel ˈnɑ̀ɡɛl ˈnɑ̀ɡɛl
104   Faroese naglur ˈnaɡ̊lʊɹ
108   Old Swedish naghl naɣl naɡl
105   Norwegian: Bokmål negl næɪl næɪl
22   Pali nakha nɐkʰɐ nakʰa
27   Magahi noh नोह noh
99   Ukrainian nìgot′ ніготь ˈnʲiʕɔtʲ ˈnʲiɦotʲ
98   Belarusian nogac′ ногаць ˈnɔɣɑ̈tsʲ ˈnoɣatsʲ An alternative lexeme is 'пазногаць', with the same root and additional prefix 'paz-'..
94   Sorbian: Upper nochć nɔxtʃ nɔxtʃ
95   Sorbian: Lower nokś nɔkɕ nokɕ
91   Slovak necht nɛxt next
85   Slovene noht nóːxt nóːxt
5   Greek: Mycenaean o-nu 𐀃𐀝 ónuks ónukʰs N.sg.m.(?) in KN Od 681.a. See DMic. for the full range of attestations.
155   Middle Breton iuin ˈiːvin
83   Serbo-Croat nokat ˈnɔ̂kɑ̈t ˈnôkat
79   Bulgarian nok″t нокът ˈnɔkət ˈnokɤt
80   Macedonian nokot нокот ˈno̞kɔt ˈnokot
49   Khotanese nāhune nɑːhʊnɛ naːhune Pl., stem nāhuna- or nāhunā-
154   Old Breton euin, eguin
90   Polabian nüďėt nyˈɟet nyˈɟet
89   Kashubian paznokc pɑ̈ˈznɔkts paˈznokts With additional prefix 'paz-'.
66   Middle Persian nāxun nʾxwn nɑːˈxʊn naːxun ZP nʾhwn
72   Ossetic: Iron nyx ных nɘχ nəχ
55   Parthian nāxun nʾxwn nɑːxun naːxun
14   Tsakonian: Propontis nýchi νύχι ˈɲiçi ˈɲixi
11   Greek: Cypriot nýšin νύσ̆ιν ˈniʃin ˈnixin
9   Greek: Cappadocian ní(ch)i νύ(χ)ι ní(ç)i ní(x)i also /niʃ/
10   Greek: Pontic onýši(n) ονύσ̌ι(ν) o̞ˈniʃi(n) o̞ˈniʃi(n)
12   Greek: Italiot (a)nýchi (α)νύχι (a)ˈniçi (a)ˈnixi It.
16   Armenian: Eastern ełowng եղունգ jɛˈʁuŋɡ ɛʁunɡ
73   Ossetic: Digor nix них niχ niχ
75   Latgalian nogs nɔks nɔɡs
117   Flemish nagel
125   Romanian unghie ˈunɡje ˈunɡje
128   Neapolitan ogna ˈoɲɲə ˈoɲɲə
133   Sardinian: Nuoro úngara ˈuŋɡara ˈuŋɡara
135   Anglo-Norman ungle
137   Walloon ongue õɡ õɡ õk in final position
139   Franco-Provençal anglye ˈɒ̃ɟʎɵ̞ ˈɔ̃ɡʎø
142   Old Spanish unna ˈuɲa
144   Portuguese unha ˈuɲɐ ˈuɲɐ
160   Gaelic: Manx yngyn ˈiŋən ˈiŋən ionga
157   Breton: Treger ivin ˈiːvin ˈivin
156   Breton: Gwened ivin iviːn
151   Welsh: North ewin ˈɛwin ˈewin
134   Sardinian: Logudoro ungia ˈundʒa ˈundʒa
131   Ladin ondla ˈondla
35   Palula nóong نونگ n̪oːŋɡ nóonɡ
31   Nepali naṅa नङ nʌɳɡ
34   Kashmiri nam نَم nɑm nɑm
87   Old Polish paznogieć ˈpa̠znɔɡʲɛtɕ, ˈpa̠znɔɡɛtɕ ˈpaznoɡetɕ
150   Middle Welsh ewin ewin
33   Marathi nakha नख nəkʰ
149   Old Welsh eguin eɡuin
92   Old Czech nehet ˈnɛɦɛc ˈneɣetj
100   Rusyn nọ́xọt′ ˈnoxo(tʲ/c) ˈnoxotʲ
71   Kumzari nixn nɪχn nɪχn
81   Macedonian: Suho nòft′ no̞ftʲ noftj
82   Macedonian: Visoka nòft′ no̞ɸtʲ noftj
23   Sinhalese niya potta නිය පොත්ත
51   Wakhi diɣ̌ər diɣər
53   Yaghnobi náxna
86   Slovene: Kostel noht no̝ːxt no̝ːxt
84   Slovene: Early Modern nohát
114   Frisian neil nail
123   German: Bernese Nagel naɡ̊u naɡ̊əl
24   Assamese nôkh নখ nɔkʰ also: "claw"
25   Bengali nakh নখ nɔkʰ/nokʰ
62   Tati naxen næχen
48   Sogdian nāxn nʾxn naːχn reconstructed from S nʾxn
63   Mazanderani nāxun nɒχun
68   Bakhtiari nexun neχun neχun
69   Delvari nɒɣu nɒɣu
138   Old Occitan oungla
126   Megleno-Romanian úngľă
140   Old Catalan ungla uŋɡlə uŋɡlə
37   Gawarbati nak نک n̪ɜk nak GM nak
70   Lari nač nat͡ʃ
57   Kurdish C.: Jafi nāxon nɑχon
64   Balochi: Sistani nāhon nɑhon
60   Hawrami nāxūn nɑxun
58   Kurdish S.: Elami nāxwın nɒχwɘ̟n
61   Raji: Barzoki noxone nɔχɔne nɔχɔne
47   Khwarazmian nāxn nʾxn naːχn šwk used for the "nail" of a camel
36   Gawri nak نک n̪ɔk nɒk H
127   Dalmatian: Vegliote jongla ˈjonɡla
119   Old High German nagal ˈnaɡal ˈnaɡal
52   Sarikoli nishewr niɕewɾ doubtful etymological derivation
113   Old Frisian neil nejl nejl
120   Middle High German nagel ˈnaɡəl ˈnaɡəl
111   Old English næġl næjl næjl
118   Old Saxon nagal ˈnaɣal ˈnaɣal
115   Middle Dutch naghel ˈnaːɣəl ˈnaːɣəl
102   Old Icelandic nagl naɣl naɡl
153   Late Cornish euin ˈewin pl. iuinaz [iˈwinəz]
106   Norwegian: Nynorsk negl nɑɡl nɑɡl
145   Portuguese: Brazilian unha
45   Vâsi-vari: Paṣki n′ač nˈəč nˈɨtʃ nˈɨtʃ
39   Pashai: North-West naurii نووری naʋˈɾiˑ nawriː
40   Kamviri nâč′ẽ natʃˈẽ natʃˈẽ
41   Kâta-vari: Eastern nâč′e nač′e natʃˈɛ̠ natʃˈɛ̠
42   Kâta-vari: Ktivi nâč′e natʃˈɛ̠ natʃˈɛ̠
43   Kalaṣa-alâ: Nišeigrâm nuča nutʃˈɐ nutʃˈɐ
44   Saṇu-viri: Wâmâ nâuć′ã nautsˈɨ̃ nautsˈɨ̃
59   Kurdish S.: Qorveh naxwēn nɑxweːn
132   Milanese ungia ˈundʒa
References
  • Adams, Douglas Q.: 502
    S.v. TochB mekwa '(finger/toe) nails'. TochA maku and TochB mekwa reflect Proto-Tocharian *mekwā, with assimilation from earlier *nekwā. To be connected with PIE *h₃nogʷʰ- (cf. Gk. ὄνυξ 'nail, claw', Lat. unguis 'nail', OEng. nægl 'nail', Skt. áṅghri- 'foot', Lith. nagà 'foot', OCS noga 'foot', etc.).
  • Beekes, Robert: 1086-1087
    S.v. ὄνυξ, -υχος 'nail, claw, hoof'. Greek form presupposes *h₃nogʷʰ- or *h₃nogʰ-u- to account for the raising of radical *-o- > -u- by Cowgill's Law (i.e. -o- > -u- between a labial and a nasal, cf. νύξ 'night' < *nokʷt-s). Similarly Classical Armenian eɫungn must also reflect the same forms, but is also a secondary n-stem from the accusative.
  • Derksen, Rick: 355
    S.v. Proto-Slavic *nogъtь 'nail, claw', a derivative of PIE *h₃nogʷʰ- (cf. Skt. nakhá- 'nail, claw', Gk. ὄνυξ 'nail, claw, hoof', Lat. unguis 'nail, claw', OIr. ingen 'nail', OHG 'nagal' 'nail').
  • Derksen, Rick: 327
    S.v. Lith. nagà 'hoof, nail' (cf. Latv. nagas Npl. 'both hands, hands and feet', OPruss. nage 'foot'), from PIE *h₃n(o)gʷʰ- (cf. Gk. ὄνυξ 'nail, claw, hoof', Lat. unguis 'nail, claw', OIr. ingen 'nail', OHG nagal 'nail').
  • Hock, Wolfgang and Fecht, Rainer and Feulner, Anna Helene and Hill, Eugen and Wodtko, Dagmar S.: 681-682
    Cf. s.v. OLith. nãgas 'Finger- oder Zehennagel, Kralle, Huf' (BSl. Latv. nags 'Finder- oder Zehennagel, Kralle, Huf', OPr. mage 'Fuß'), from PIE *h₃nógʷʰ-/*h₃n̥gʷʰ- 'Finger- oder Zehennagel, Kralle' (cf. Gk. ὄνυξ, -υχος, Lat. unguis, OIr. ingen, ON nagl, OE nægel, etc.).
  • Kloekhorst, Alwin: 723-725
    S.v. Hitt. šankuu̯āi- 'nail; a unit of linear measure', generally connected to the complex of words meaning 'nail' elsewhere among the Indo-European languages (Lat. unguis, Gk. ὄνυξ, etc.). This connection does not account for the initial š-. It is possible to assume an s-mobile to account for it via a preform *s-h₃ngʰ-u-oi which would regularly yield Hitt. šankuu̯ai-. Although the assumption of an s-mobile is here admittedly ad hoc, but other s-mobile forms not attested elsewhere in IE are also possibly found in išḫaḫru- 'tear' and šākuu̯a- 'eye' [cf. [cognate set 3305](cog-3305)].
  • Kroonen, Guus: 381
    S.v. Proto-Germanic *nagl- 'nail', from PIE *h₃nogʷʰ-l-o- (cf. Gk. ὄνυξ 'nail', Arm. ełungn 'nail', OPruss. nage 'foot', Lith. nãgas 'nail, claw', OCS noga 'foot, leg' < *h₃nogʷʰ-; Lat. unguis, 'nail, OIr. ingen 'nail' < *h₃ngʷʰ-).
  • Martirosyan, Hrach: 254-255
    S.v. Arm. ełungn 'nail', derived from PIE *h₃nogʷʰ- or *h₃nogʰ-u- (cf. Gk. ὄνυξ 'talon, claw, nail', etc.).
  • Matasović, Ranko: 36
    S.v. Proto-Celtic *angʷīnā 'nail', from PIE *h₃nogʰu-, gen. *h₃ngʰ-eu-s 'nail'. In Celtic the zero-grade stem of the oblique cases was generalised.
  • Mayrhofer, Manfred: II:4-5
    S.v. Ved. nakhá- 'Nagel, Fingernagel, Zehennagel, Kralle, Klaue'. "Iir. *nā̆kʰ- ist von idg. *h₃Engʰ-/*h₃nEgʰ- 'Nagel, Kralle' (~ lat. unguis, lit. nãgas Nagel u.a. o. I 49) nicht zu trennen." Cf. notes to entry in Mayrhofer for further discussion of the phonetic difficulties of the Indo-Iranian forms.
  • Morgenstierne, Georg: 50
    "našεwr S[arikoli] nail. — **naxōr? Cf. W[akhi] digεr, dγ̌ör (> Khow. doγur) < *n(a)γūr? Very doubtful derivation."
  • Trubačev, O. N.: 25: 161-164, 170-173
    The Slavic lexeme is related to Lithuanian nagùtis 'claw, fingernail' and further to Old High German nagal, Old Icelandic nagl, negl, Old Irish ingen, Latin unguis, Greek ὄνυξ, Old Indic áṅghriḥ and nakhám etc.
  • de Vaan, Michiel: 641
    S.v. Lat. unguis 'finger-nail, claw', from PIE *h₃ngʰ-u- 'nail'. The PIE u-stem was remade into an i-stem in Latin.