An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Geweih

by Friedrich Kluge

Geweih, neuter, ‘horns, antlers,’ from the equivalent Middle High German gewîge (hirzgewîge), neuter; in Old High German the corresponding word is wanting; compare Dutch gewicht, neuter, ‘stag's antlers,’ whence a German variant Gewicht. The cognates have most frequently been connected with the Old Teutonic root wī̆g, ‘to fight’ (see Weigand); Geweih would then be regarded as the weapon of the stag.