An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Nachen

by Friedrich Kluge

Nachen, masculine, ‘boat, skiff,’ from the equivalent Middle High German nache, Old High German nahho, masculine; corresponding to Old Saxon naco, Dutch naak, aak (respecting the form without n see Näber), Anglo-Saxon naca, masculine (obsolete in later English); Old Icelandic nǫkkve, masculine, ‘boat’; Gothic *naqa, masculine, is by chance not recorded (see also Rahn). Its origin is obscure; perhaps Latin nâv-is, Greek ναῦ-ς, Sanscrit nãus, are allied, Latin nav- being changed to naq. Compare queck.