An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Stimme

by Friedrich Kluge

Stimme, feminine, ‘voice, sound,’ from the equivalent Middle High German stimme, Old High German stimma, feminine, of which the older variant, stimna, corresponds to Old Saxon stëmna (stëmma), Anglo-Saxon stëmn, stefn (English dialectic steven, ‘noise, cry’), Gothic stibna, ‘voice.’ It is uncertain whether *stebnô- or stibnô- is the older form. The connection with Greek στόμα, ‘mouth,’ is dubious.