Near
Middle English: from Old Norse nær ‘nearer’, comparative of ná, corresponding to Old English nēah ‘nigh’.
wiktionary
From Middle English nere, ner, from Old English nēar(“nearer”, comparative of nēah(“nigh”)), influenced by Old Norse nær(“near”), both originating from Proto-Germanic *nēhwiz(“nearer”), comparative of the adverb *nēhw(“near”). Cognate with Old Frisian niār(“nearer”), Dutch naar(“to, towards”), German näher(“nearer”), Danish nær(“near, close”), Norwegian nær(“near, close”)Swedish nära(“near, close”). See also nigh.
Near appears to be derived from (or at the very least influenced by) the North Germanic languages; compare Danish nær(“near, close”), Norwegian nær(“near, close”)Swedish nära(“near, close”), as opposed to nigh, which continues the inherited West Germanic adjective, like Dutch na(“close, near”), German nah(“close, near, nearby”), Luxembourgish no(“nearby, near, close”). Both, however, are ultimately derived from the same Proto-Germanic root: *nēhw(“near, close”).
etymonline
near (adv.)
Old English near "closer, nearer," comparative of neah, neh"nigh." Partially by the influence of Old Norse naer "near," it came to be used in English as a positive form mid-13c., and new comparative nearer developed in the 1500s (see nigh). Originally an adverb but now supplanted in most such senses by nearly; it has in turn supplanted correct nigh as an adjective.
The adjectival use dates from c. 1300, "being close by, not distant;" from late 14c. as "closely related by kinship;" 1610s as "economical, parsimonious." Colloquial use for "so as to barely escape injury or danger" (as in a near thing, near miss) is by 1751. As a preposition, "close to, close by, near in space or time," from mid-13c. Related: Nearness. In near and dear (1620s) it refers to nearness of kinship. Near East is by 1894 (probably based on Far East). Near beer "low-alcoholic brew" is from 1908.
near (v.)
"to draw near, approach," 1510s, from near (adv.). Related: Neared; nearing.
