An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Acht

by Friedrich Kluge

Acht, feminine, ‘outlawry, ban,’ from Middle High German âhte, œhte, feminine, ‘pursuit, proscription, outlawry, ban’; Old High German âhta (Anglo-Saxon ôht), feminine, ‘hostile pursuit.’ Gothic *âhtjan. ‘to pursue,’ is wanting. Compare Old Saxon âhtian, Anglo-Saxon êhtan (from anhtjan), ‘to pursue.’ Teutonic *añhtian, ‘to pursue,’ and *anhtô, ‘pursuit,’ seem to be based on a non-dental root, which is perhaps connected with the cognates of eng (Aryan root angh).