well-nigh

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*h₂neḱ-“to attain, reach”
2. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*welh₁-“to choose; to want”
3. Old English · inherited fromwel nēah
4. Middle English · inherited fromwel-neigh“physically close to; near in time to; almost, nearly; closely”
5. English todaywell-nigh

From Middle English wel-neigh (“physically close to; near in time to; almost, nearly; closely”) [and other forms], from Old English wel nēah, wel nēh, from wel (“well”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose; to want”)) + nēah, nēh (“close, near”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to attain, reach”)). Synchronically a univerbation of well (“completely, fully; to a significant degree”) + nigh (“close by, near”).

Words from the same roots