nesh

nesh · adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*knēs-
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hnaskuz“soft, tender”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*hnaskwī
4. Old English · inherited fromhnesċe
5. Middle English · inherited fromnesh
6. English todaynesh

From Middle English nesh, nesch, nesche, from Old English hnesċe, hnysċe, næsċe (“soft, tender, mild; weak, delicate; slack, negligent; effeminate, wanton”), from Proto-West Germanic *hnaskwī, from Proto-Germanic *hnaskuz (“soft, tender”), from Proto-Indo-European *knēs-, *kenes- (“to scratch, scrape, rub”). Cognate with Scots nesch, nesh (“soft, tender, yielding easily to pressure, sensitive”), Dutch nesch, nes (“wet, moist”), Gothic 𐌷𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌵𐌿𐍃 (hnasqus, “soft, tender, delicate”). Compare also nask, nasky, nasty.

nesh · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*knēs-
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*hnaskwōn“to make soft”
3. Old English · inherited fromhnesċan
4. Middle English · inherited fromneschen
5. English todaynesh

From Middle English neschen, from Old English hnesċan, hnesċian (“to make soft, soften; become soft, give way, waver”), from Proto-West Germanic *hnaskwōn (“to make soft”), from Proto-Indo-European *knēs-, *kenes- (“to scratch, scrape, rub”). Cognate with Old High German nascōn ("to nibble at, parasitise, squander"; > German naschen (“to nibble, pinch”)). Doublet of nosh.

Words from the same roots