Нѣжинъ

Old Ruthenian

Etymology

First attested in 1514. From earlier Унѣжъ (Uněž) +‎ -инъ (-in), attested in 16th century. Inherited from Old East Slavic Унѣжь (Uněžĭ), short for Унѣнѣжь (Uněněžĭ), attested in 1147. From proper name *Унѣнѣгъ (*Uněněgŭ), from унѣ- (uně-) + нѣга (něga) + -ъ (-ŭ).

Proper noun

Нѣ́жинъ • (Ně́žin) m

1. Nizhyn (a city in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine)

Descendants

• Belarusian: Не́жын (Njéžyn)
• Carpathian Rusyn: Нї́жин (Njížyn)
• Ukrainian: Ні́жин (Nížyn)
  • → Belarusian: Ні́жын (Nížyn) (learned)
• → Russian: Не́жин (Néžin) (learned)

Further reading

• Luchyk, V. V. (2014) “Ні́жин”, in Етимологічний словник топонімів України [Etymological Dictionary of Toponyms of Ukraine] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Academy, →ISBN, page 346
• Stryzhak, O. S., editor (1985), “Ꙋнєнѣжь”, in Етимологічний словник літописних географічних назв Південної Русі [Etymological Dictionary of Chronicle Geographical Names of Southern Rus'] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, page 167