An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Lawine

by Friedrich Kluge

Lawine, feminine, ‘avalanche,’ Modern High German simply; from Swiss, in which Lauwin, pronounced with a German accent, was current at an earlier period. The word passed in the 18th century into the written language, originally with the variants Lauwine, Lauine, Läue, Loewin. Although we might regard the word as a derivative of Latin labina on account of Föhn, which is undoubtedly of Latin origin, yet it probably comes from a genuine Teutonic source; for the medial Latin b would be represented only by b or f (v) in German (Middle High German *lęvene). Moreover, the numerous dialectic variants point to a German root, and, indeed, to kinship with lau; thus with Bavarian läuen, läunen, ‘to be softened by a mild temperature, thaw,’ is connected Bavarian läuen, läun, ‘thaw, mass of half-melted snow, avalanche,’ and Swiss läue, láui (plural láuine), ‘avalanche,’ with läu, ‘warm enough to thaw.’ Even in Old High German an allied word lęwina, ‘cascade,’ occurs.