neu-ks-, neu-s-

    neu-ks-, neu-s-

    English meaning: to sniff, smell

    Deutsche Übersetzung: “wittern, schnũffeln”, from which “aufspũren, auskundschaften”

    Material: Goth. bi-niuhsian “auskundschaften”, niuhseins “Heimsuchung”, perhaps to O.Ice. nȳsa “wittern, snuffle, sniff, peer “, njōsn f. “ tidings, Suche”, O.H.G. niusen “versuchen” (to alteration from -hs- to -s- s. Sverdrup IF. 35, 149), etc.; neus- in: O.E. nēosian, nīosan , O.S. niusian, niusōn “untersuchen, nachspũren”; in addition O.E. nosu, Eng. nose, Dutch neus “nose”, Nor. nosa “wittern”, nūs ‘smell, odor, Witterung”, nuska ‘suchen”, Ger. nũschen “with the Schnauze wũhlen”, Eng. nuzzle, Dutch neuzelen ‘snuffle, sniff”, M.L.G. nOster(en), nũster(en) “Nũster”; Russ. njúchatь ‘snuffle, sniff, smell”, Serb. njušiti ‘snuffle, sniff”. Maybe Alb. (*njúchatь) nuhat, nuhas ‘snuffle, sniff, smell”, through metathesis derived Alb.Gheg (*nuhas) huna, Tosc hunda “nose” [common Alb. n > nd phonetic mutation] Clearly Root nas- : “nose” derived from Root neu-ks-, neu-s- : “to sniff, smell” while both nas- : “nose”, neu-ks-, neu-s- : “to sniff, smell” are zero grade of Root an(ǝ)-3 : “to breathe”

    References: WP. II 325, Holthausen KZ. 69, 166 f.; probably to 2. sneu-, see there.