An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Stunde

by Friedrich Kluge

Stunde, feminine, ‘hour, time, league,’ from Middle High German stunde, Old High German stunta, feminine, ‘time, period of time’ (the Modern High German signification ‘hora’ first occurs in late Middle High German, the primary meaning was ‘undefined period’). Corresponding to Old Saxon stunda, Anglo-Saxon stund, English dialectic stound, Old Icelandic stund, ‘space of time’; Dutch stond, ‘moment.’ The pre-historic connections of the word (perchance with Stand, gestanden; hence Stunde, ‘rest, repose’?) are uncertain.