Early 17th century; earliest use found in Gervase Markham (?1568–1637), author. Probably the reflex of a borrowing from early Scandinavian from the Scandinavian base of Old Icelandic ný- + the Scandinavian base of Old Icelandic -baerr that bears (compare Old Icelandic snemmbaerr (of a cow) that calves or has calved early, (of a sheep) that lambs or has lambed early, síðbaerr (of a cow) that calves or has calved late; cognate with Old English -bǣre, Old Frisian -bēre (West Frisian -ber), Middle Dutch -baer (Dutch -baar), Middle Low German -bār, Old High German -bāri (Middle High German -baere, German -bar), all in sense ‘that bears’ from an ablaut variant (lengthened grade) of the Germanic base of bear).