An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/neben

by Friedrich Kluge

neben, adverb and preposition, ‘beside, along with, in addition to,’ from Middle High German nëben, shortened form of enében, Old High German nëben, inében, ‘beside’; as a compound of in and eben it signifies literally ‘in the same line with,’ similarly Anglo-Saxon on efn, on emn, ‘alongside.’ Compare the following word.