need

need · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*neh₂w-
2. Proto-Germanic*naudiz
3. Proto-West Germanic*naudi
4. Old Englishnīed
5. Middle Englishnede
6. English todayneed

From Middle English nede, a merger of two terms: * Old English nīed (West Saxon), nēd (Mercian), nēad (“necessity, compulsion, want”), from Proto-West Germanic *naudi, from Proto-Germanic *naudiz, from Proto-Indo-European *neh₂w- (“death”). * Old English nēod (“desire, longing”), from Proto-West Germanic *niudi (“desire, eagerness”), from Proto-Indo-European *new- (“to incline, tend, move, push, nod, wave”).

need · verb²

1. Proto-West Germanic*niudi
2. Old Englishnēod
3. Old Englishnēodian
4. Middle Englishneden
5. English todayneed

From Middle English neden, from Old English nēodian.

Words from the same roots