An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/nah

by Friedrich Kluge

nah, adj., ‘near, impending,’ from MidHG. nâch (inflect. nâher), OHG. nâh (inflect. nâhêr), adj., ‘near’; corresponding to OSax. nâh, LG. and Du. na, AS. neáh, E. nigh, adj. (whence the comp. AS. neár, adv., E. near; superl. next, E. next); OIc. nár, Goth. néhws, ‘near.’ To the Goth. stem nêhwa- (for further derivatives see under Nachbar and nah) we should have expected néko-, nêqe-, in the non-Teut. languages, but they do not occur. Gr. ἐγγύς, ‘near,’ is no more equiv. in sound to nahe than Sans. nā̆́huša, ‘neighbouring."—