nest

nest · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁en-?
2. Proto-Indo-European*ní
3. Proto-Indo-European*sed-
4. Proto-Indo-European*nisdós
5. Proto-Germanic*nestą
6. Proto-West Germanic*nest
7. Old Englishnest
8. Middle Englishnest
9. English todaynest

From Middle English nest, nist, nyst, from Old English nest, from Proto-West Germanic *nest, from Proto-Germanic *nestą, from Proto-Indo-European *nisdós (“nest”), literally "where [the bird] sits down", a compound of *ni (“down”) (whence also English nether) + the zero-grade of the root *sed- (“to sit”) (whence also English sit).

nest · verb²

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*nistijan“to nest, build a nest”
2. Old English · inherited fromnistan
3. Middle English · inherited fromnesten
4. English todaynest

From Middle English nesten, nisten, from Old English nistan, nistian, from Proto-West Germanic *nistijan (“to nest, build a nest”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian näästje (“to nest”), Dutch nesten (“to nest”), German Low German nüsten (“to nest”), German nisten (“to nest”).

Nest · proper noun³

1. German · borrowed fromNest“nest”
2. English todayNest

Two possible origins: * Welsh metronymic surname, from a diminutive of the personal name Agnes. * Borrowed from German Nest (“nest”), probably a topographic surname.

Words from the same roots