An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Geige

by Friedrich Kluge

Geige, feminine, ‘fiddle, violin,’ from the equivalent early Middle High German gîge, feminine; corresponding to Middle Dutch ghighe, Old Icelandic gígja; in Old High German fidula, English fiddle; see Fiedel. The Teutonic word, like Harfe, found its way into Romance; compare Italian giga, French gigue (whence further English jig). There is no suspicion that Middle High German gîge was borrowed; it is, however, scarcely allied primitively (pre-Teutonic ghîkă) to Old Slovenian žica, ‘thread’ (akin to Lithuanian gijá, ‘thread’?).