According to Kuiper (1966:78) Nihalioṭṭi is of unindentified origin. Tentatively compared with Nostratic*qot'U ("to burn"), which gave Proto-Semitic*√x˖t˖w(“to be kindled, burn”), Proto-Indo-European*āt(ʰ)r-, *āt(ʰ)ar-, *Hʷet-, *Hʷet˖r-(“fire”), and Proto-Altaic*ōti, *oot'a(“fire”).[1]