An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Sau

by Friedrich Kluge

Sau, feminine, ‘sow, hog,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German sû, feminine; corresponding to Anglo-Saxon sû, English sow, Old Icelandic sýr, ‘sow.’ Dutch zog, zeug, ‘sow,’ belong further, like Anglo-Saxon sŭgu (Gothic *sugus), and Suabian, Middle Low German, and Middle English suge, to Old Teutonic sû, whence also Schwein (Gothic swein, neuter) is derived. The term sû, ‘pig,’ is essentially West Aryan; compare Latin sû-s, Greek ὗ-ς, σῦ-ς, to which Zend hu, ‘boar,’ is allied; for further references see under Schwein. The root is Sanscrit su, ‘to bring forth’ (compare Sohn), so that the ‘sow’ was probably named from its fecundity; others regard sû as an imitation of the grunting of the pig, because in Sanscrit the animal is termed sûkara, literally ‘sû maker.’ Sau, in its prov. sense, ‘ace’ (of cards), seems, like Hund, to have been an old technical term in dice-playing, yet early references are wanting.