1/ In modern Hebrew, נֶכֶד (ˈnɛ.χɛd) signifies a grandchild, while נִין (nin) is reserved for the great-grandchild. However, Biblical Hebrew paints a different picture. These terms, always paired as נִין וָנֶכֶד, convey the broader notion of "descendants" or "offspring."
2/ The translation of these terms in the Septuagint gives us "seed and name," emphasizing the generational continuity. While Aramaic translations give us "sons and grandsons."
3/ In the 10th century, נֶכֶד began to be used as "grandchild," but by the 12th century, it also took on the meaning of "nephew,” reflected in Martin Luther's German 16th-century translation. This usage waned, and by the 20th century revival, נֶכֶד just meant "grandchild."
4/ On the other hand, נִין wasn’t used much until the 20th century when it underwent attempts to represent "descendant," "nephew," and "great-grandchild." It was used with all three senses at first but then…
5/ author Daniel Persky proposed using אַחְיָן (ɑχˈjɑn), a minor biblical character whose name happened to include the word for brother אָח (ɑχ), as the Hebrew word for "nephew." As אַחְיָן caught on, נִין solidified as the Hebrew word for "great-grandchild."
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