Etymograph

English

nef

Nef comes from French nef ‘vessel, ship’, from Middle French nef ‘boat’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *néh₂us.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*néh₂us‘boat’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnāvem
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400nef‘boat’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘boat’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘vessel, ship’
  6. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*néh₂us‘boat’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnāvem
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400nef‘boat’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘boat’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘vessel, ship’
  6. Englishtodaysame form

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *néh₂us ‘boat’

navy, noise, naval, navigation, navigate, nautical, navigator, aeronautics, navigable, nao, nautilus, nau, astronautics, nacelle, navicular, 9 more

through Latin nāvem

nave, 2 more

Today it means

noun An extravagant table ornament and container used in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, made in the shape of a ship.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *néh₂us / nef

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